


We're going home

by A_Fellow_Warrior



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Canon, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Battle, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Falling In Love, Love, Non-Canon Relationship, Non-Canonical Violence, Other, Psychological Trauma, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:01:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23062123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Fellow_Warrior/pseuds/A_Fellow_Warrior
Summary: An alternate plotline where the Warriors win the battle at Shiganshina. One where Bert isnt eaten... There will be character deaths that aren't shown in the show/manga. Major anime spoilers .
Relationships: Bertolt Hoover/Annie Leonhart, Mikasa Ackerman & Eren Yeager, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Reiner Braun/Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss
Comments: 47
Kudos: 61





	1. Let's End This

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Mission Success: A Different Story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20383618) by [EmmaBodt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaBodt/pseuds/EmmaBodt). 



> (I do not own any of these characters nor attack on titan itself)  
> * This story was inspired by "EmmaBodt: Mission success- A different story * This is a story I had on my mind for a while. Though many will probably not like it, I'm glad that I'm at least writing it out. There will be major deaths such as people from the Survey Corps. Though I'm not sure if ill finish this story, I hope that anyone who decides to read my story was at least somewhat entertained :D. Not certain if there will be multiple POV's, but for now I'll address who's POV is being told. Ill try to keep most stuff canon, but it will obviously change once the battle is over. Any criticism/thoughts are appreciated and I hope that I'll finish this story at some point. Hope you enjoy :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Scouts are heading back to Shiganshina so they could reach Eren's basement. My mission is to stop them and capture the Coordinate. With this, our long journey will finally be over.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope anyone who reads this enjoys the story, as it will obviously break away from canon. I'll try to keep a few parts very similar here and there to canon, but well, some things obviously will change. Hope everyone enjoys this and I'll try to update whenever I can, so forgive me for late chapters :D  
> *Updated*

"They'll be here soon" Reiner thought to himself. Due to the order of his Warchief, Zeke, he was currently hiding inside the wall. "This is it. Our journey will end as soon as we recover the Coordinate." He whispered quietly to himself. The Coordinate was what had started this long difficult mission, and was supposed to have been captured years ago. The mission that he had started with four other Warrior's.

He smiled, recalling what had happened when they were notified by Pieck, another fellow Warrior of his, of the Scouts' approach.

"Let's End This", were the words his best friend, Bertholdt had said a few hours ago. Those words showed him that his best friend was finally having confidence in himself. His best friend that had been by his side for years, watching his back no matter what. Once they were done here, they could finally go back home... While reminiscing of his earlier conversation with his Warchief and Bert, the thought of his mother, Karina, and cousin Gabi, flashed in his mind. He had only gotten to see them for a day, before needing to get back to work. He was glad they didnt know the full truth about the island. _I'm no longer that naive child that would blindly follow orders...right?_

"We'll finish this and go back home... but first, we have to recover the Coordinate, so we could get Annie back. As soon as we can finish this mission, we'll still have to face more challenges. But in the end, it'll all be worth it." He stared down in sorrow, his face twisting in regret. The reason she want here right now was because Warchief Zeke had beat him when he proposed to rescue Annie, right after Bertholdt and him had came back without the Coordinate, their main objective. They needed her for this mission, and Reiner had made a promise. _W_ _e're going back home... all of us._

That was the first time he had stood up to his Warchief, the man he once admired. Reiner desperately wanted to get Annie back, since he promised her and Bert that they would all go back home, and he hadn't forgotten that promise. Though, challenging Zeke when he was low on energy probably wasnt the best idea, he wanted to at least do something to get her back.

"If only I had beat him, she would be here fighting with us now. It's just us four since they needed to keep Porco as defense." Porco, the new Jaw's titan. Marley had stated they would be electing him as the new holder of the Jaw's titan just before Reiner had left. Meaning his one-time savior was going to get eaten... But he had made a promise to her, and gave her the best hospitality he could offer. "That's right, I need to deliver Ymir's letter. Once we're done here I'll see if I can go into the walls as soon as possible to deliver the letter. I could probably get it done while we rescue Annie. A worried thought flashed through Reiner's mind. "Damn. What if Christa is...here? No, wait, her name was ...Historia, right?... That golden haired beauty... why?... why am I thinking of her, now of all times? That's right. We have to save her. But, I wont be able to if..I hope she isnt here with the Scouts, I dont want her to... No, it shouldnt matter... right?... Shit..."

A sudden hissing of what was most likely gas made him regain his thoughts and he remembered why he's here. Though he didn't know if Eren could plug up the wall or not, he was certain they couldn't let him reach his basement. His Warchief had assumed the Scout'shad some sirt if plan to block the while in the wall. After all, they wanted to get to Eren's basement. "If Erens basement holds information on Marley, then that would cause us a lot more trouble than we need. We have to secure the Coordinate and get back to Marley. I promised Bert we'd rescue Annie, and I'm not letting go of that promise. She deserves to go home too. But we have to make sure we're in a good position to rescue her before we do anything stupid. The only chance we had was before the battle, so now we're going to have to wait. We can't go against Zeke's orders..." He sulked, feeling helpless. _If only I had beaten Zeke, we would have Annie or even Porco fighting with us here..._

Soon enough, Reiner heard that thunderous sound of a lightning striking down from the sky. He already memorized the sound from when someone transforms, and he could see the light shine through the cracks of his wall-decoy. "Seems like he transformed. I hope it wasn't because he found where Warchief Zeke is hiding... No, that's impossible, no matter how smart they may be, they cant beat our Warchief. Zeke's plan has multiple backups just in case something goes wrong." _He is Marley's greatest Warrior after all._

* * *

What felt like hours went by before Reiner starting feeling something was off. He wondered why there hasnt been a second transformation yet. He gripped the handles of his ODM gear, fearing he might have to leave his hiding spot. It wasnt very comfortable to begin with, but he did feel safer in here than out there, even if it was too small to barely fit even two people. "Hmm... Not Zeke, not Eren. What's happening?.."

"If Eren did plug up the other gate, why hasn't he transformed to plug up this one? Dont tell me he's heading straight for the basement... No, there's still titans within wall Maria, if they didnt try to plug up this wall, that would be a regrettable decision that the Survey Corps would make. They would want Eren to be in the safest area, as to not lose him to a titan, even if there aren't any in eyesight. They shouldnt be able to block this gate any other way. _Damn_. I dont know what's going on, but I'm going to stick to the plan. I'll stay here and wait until I hear Zeke's roar. After that i'll..."

In an instant, a faint sound forced him out of his thoughts. It sounded like... distant, _tapping?_ "Eh?... What was that? Don't tell me..." His eyes widened in shock, realization finally dawning on him. The tapping outside could now be heard on his wall-decoy and he realized that they must have somehow found him out. A small gasp escaped his mouth as he heard a Scout yell out, "Here! There's a cavity in the wall!" Reiner couldn't believe it. "Shit!" He murmured. He grabbed his wall-decoy and moved it aside, getting his blades ready for the inevitable. He spotted his target raising his blade. Even though he tried not to think about it, he couldn't help but see the fear in the Scouts' eyes when he shoved his sword through him, piercing his chest and letting him fall down, his blade slick with blood. Pushing his wall-decoy outside, he grabbed the side of the wall and stepped out.

Someone yelled out "Reiner!", and he turned around to see a blonde feminine-like Scout, seeming quite familiar. It was someone he knew from the Survey Corps. "Armin...? Damn it, I'll have to kill him too, then I'll..." a cold shiver ran up his spine, along with a feeling of dread. He sensed something...dangerous. Something wasnt right, there was something that only had a killing intent on their mind. Reiner looked up, terrified, when he spotted Captain Levi, the man who beat Annie, coming down on him, his blades inches away from Reiner. _EH?_! _I have to do it now! Or else...!_ "FUC.....HMMFFFFGGG!...."

  
As Levi stabbed him through the neck, he was certain he had just killed the Armored Titan, as his eyes had rolled to the back of his head, showing the whites of his eyes. He still pierced him using his other blade, but in his chest this time, leaving his first one in his neck. He had to make sure he killed this Armored brat. But as they were falling Levi could see the brat's eyes roll from the back of his head, and he pulled out his sword in slight surprise, knowing full well he didn't kill him. He couldnt believe it, this brat really survived that? He immediately backed up and hooked onto the wall. "Shit! Is that another titan power?... So close, but I couldn't kill him!" He yelled out. He saw how the Armored Titan holder was now about to transform, and knew he failed to kill him.

All Reiner could feel was pain. He was able to transfer his consciousness just in time. Even though Reiner was certain he just died for a second there, he knew he would have definitely been killed for sure if had he been any slower transfering his consciousness. But for now, he felt that burning heat in his chest. He knew he was about to transform, even with this damn blade still in his neck. He must have broken his back, as the electricity started coming from there, and then his wounds.

The burning sensation was making him arch his back, bones crackling and sparking as lightning was being ignited from inside Reiner. At first, he couldn't feel anything... it was as if he was...dead. This was a forced transformation, which were not the safest. He could tell he was starting to transform into his titan; The **_Armored Titan._** He felt that electricity that runs up and down your body, that rising heat from your chest. That burning sensation coming from both his neck and chest. And this time, that excruciating pain, that would help him to transform. His entire body felt rigid, as light was sparking out from his mouth and eyes, including his wounds. " _Somebody has to be the one to do it!..."_ His friends words echoed in the back of his mind. The lighting he had seen earlier was now coming down towards him, as his titan was starting to form. His bones and muscle formed first, before he started forming his armor. He felt himself get covered in muscle, flesh and bone.

A small explosion could be compared to his titan's transformation, as his armor being formed made it bigger than a normal shifter's. _"Somebody... has to be the one, to stain their hands with blood!.."_ Now in his layed down titan, he said with full determination, "We're going to end this right here, right now, isn't that right... **_Bertholdt?_** "


	2. The Battle: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner was discovered by the Scouts, and had no choice but to transform.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, looks like I actually got to the second chapter :D I tried taking a bit more time with this one, since I felt like the first was probably a bit rushed. Ill edit that later, for now ill just go with what I have at the top of my head. Hope this chapter satisfies and isnt too bad :) Enjoy.  
> *Updated*

*Reiner* _Shit_. "It seems like I had to transform earlier than I thought. Either way I still have to follow up with Warchief Zeke's plan. But I didn't expect to be found out so soon, so I'll need to improvise a bit, and continue with completing my first objective right now." A sudden roar could be heard, meaning Zeke must have transformed now, making the Eldian captives he brought, transform with him as well. "The battle seems to be starting, but we're not going to lose here, not after we've come so far. Isn't that right, **_Bertholdt_**?"

His objective is to kill the horses. His Warchief had told him that was his first priority, so the Scout's can't get back to Wall Rose. This would make it so the Warriors would have the upper hand. Reiner, now in his titan form, stood up, his heavy armor shining amidst the steam. He slowly started walking, getting closer to the wall where the Scout's were. The ground shook and crumbled as he took each step, moving around the old houses. His armor was quite heavy, making him somewhat slow. His titan's white hair glistened in the morning sun. He stopped in front of the wall and looked up, knowing he'll have to climb to get to the other side of it since the gate was supposed to be kept shut.

"Alright, I'll have to harden to climb the wall. If we can kill them here and get the Coordinate, then it's our victory. Eren is our main objective so I should keep an eye out. They're probably hiding him under a cloak, so it'll be a challenge to find him. But for now, I have to get to the other side as soon as possible, and get rid of the horses." He got into a sprinting position and started hardening, but only his hands and feet. It took a lot of energy just to simply maintain the crystal-like material. But having armor cover every part of his body made the need to harden unnecessary most of the time. He focused in his hands and feet, feeling that somewhat cool sting while he was creating his hardening, which shone a bright crystal-like blue. This would make it so he could get a better grip on the wall. Reiner cringed. He could painfully remember the training Marley had given him so he could master hardening.

* * *

Upon hardening, he stared at his armored hands, which somewhat resembled claws. _This seems... familiar... That's right..._ there was only one other person other than Bertoldt that left the walls with him. The woman who had been the last seen with the Jaws Titan. The one who eaten their leader five years ago... "Ymir..." _My promise._ He made a promise to her. Inside his titan, he turned to look at his chest pocket on his shirt. His promise was to deliver this letter to Christa....erm..... Historia. That was the promise he made to Ymir. Deep down, he hoped Historia wasn't with the Scout's, so he didnt have kill her. But if she was, he would do everything possible to not kill her, and make sure she read the letter, before he captured her. That was part of the promise he made to Ymir: To save Chr.... Historia.

Reiner got ready. He took a quick running stance and made a sprint towards the wall, the earth shaking as he flew by. As soon as he reached the wall, he used his feet to start his long climb. His now crystalized hands and feet dug easily into the wall, cracking it as he climbed up. While he was climbing, he thought nothing except his objective. _The horses_. He could hear the Scout's up top yelling about something, but he could barely make out what it was about.

After climbing for what seemed like seconds, he got to the top and was able to remove his hardening, feeling a bit of relief. He scanned the area, searching for his targets. _Ah._ "There they are, all gathered in one place. I'll kill the horses and make a break for it. That's good enough." He thought about the Scouts, and who would be a problem. First person was probably Levi. The man who nearly just killed him. "No matter how strong Captain Levi is, he's still no match for our Warchief." _He's been chosen as the greatest Warrior Marley has, there's no way he would let Levi and the Scouts overcome him._ He looked down on his neck, seeing half of a blade sticking out. Now that he had a little time to rest, he removed the blade from his neck, which steamed up as it healed afterwards. "That was too close. If I was even a little bit slower when I transferred my consciousness to my body, I definitely would have died. How did they even think about looking in the walls?"

A quick flashback of when he jumped out of his hiding spot flew by in his head. Someone was there who yelled out his name. "Armin, was it you?... No, it doesn't matter. With this our long journey is finally coming to an end. Just a few more steps, and this will all be over. We're so close, the Coordinate is what will also help rescue Annie. Heh, I'll even let Bertl alone with her after she's been rescued. Like I told him, she might mistake him for her prince. We have to rescue her, and then save Historia..."

Reiner let go of that memory when he felt like someone was watching him nearby and he turned to his left. There, someone stood, looking back at him with an intense stare. "Erwin Smith, the Commander of the Scout's... No, dont get distracted. I have to kill the horses first." A sudden flash of lightning appeared behind him. He turned around just in time to see who it was. "Huh?! Eren!? Why did he show up unprovoked? The Scout's should be painfully aware he's our main objective. What are you thinking?... Did you transform to flee South and over the wall? Dammit. If he's alone he could get back to Trost without needing a horse. He'd be in tha safety of another wall, Wall Rose."

"If that happens then there's no reason to stay here and continue fighting the Scouts. Even if we did annihilate the Scouts, we can't let someone who mastered hardening in two months back inside the walls. Is that also part of the Coordinates power? If he learns to master the Coordinates full power, it'll be too late. Everything would have been for nothing... No... wait. This is weird. Why would he transform inside Shiganshina when he could have used ODM gear to climb the wall first? Both gates are blocked so he would need to scale the wall to get back to Trost. But why would he transform now? In a place surrounded by walls? Huh? He's looking back... I see. They're trying to change my target from the horses, to Eren. _Shit_. They really got me good." He looked backed at Erwin, "Not giving me time to think, are we? Dammit commander, and I climbed all the way up here..."

Reiner had now hardened his feet and elbows to slide down the wall, as to not land with a ***Crash***. "I can't believe they made me choose between Eren and the horses. He is our main objective after all. I'm not sure if I'll be able to beat him, but I have to try. Even if I somehow cant, I still have the ace up my sleeve." A flashback of when he was at the top of the wall with Bert, passed by in his mind. "To be honest, I never thought you reliable." he told his best friend, who simply nodded and answered "I know." Reiner then stated, "-up until now, that is. We're ending this here, right?" Bert responded with a determined look and said "That's right. We're gonna win and end this." Reiner couldn't help but smile at his friend. Bertolt was now gaining confidence, and it made Reiner feel happy on the inside. He wanted his best friend to speak up for himself and finally take the initiative. This way his friend could have a better chance in this cruel world. He could show who he really is, the real potential he has.

"Keep that attitude until your with you're beloved Annie." Bertholdt blushed and couldn't help but stammer when he replied "I-Its not like that!" Reiner smiled and told him, "I bet even Annie would appreciate the one who rushes in to save her, and mistake him for her prince." He couldn't help but laugh on the inside when he saw that his friend's face was flushed just by the simple mention of his crush, Annie.

* * *

"That's right. I can count on Bert transforming and blowing this place up even if I don't give him the signal. I believe he'll be able to accomplish the mission, even if I can't. But I still wont go down easy. My mother, cousin, and family are waiting for me to go back home, Eren. And... even though I destroyed yours... I-... I will have to atone for my sins in the future. But for now, I have a mission. And that mission is to capture you so I could save my friends, family, and comrades that I care about. Bert has my back, Zeke has his plan, and with Pieck as backup, we can't lose. I'm sorry Eren, but this is for the best, it's better if you dont have to suffer any longer..." Reiner was now in front of Eren, the Coordinate, his main objective.

He charged and went for the first punch, his armored fists swinging with ferocity, but only hitting air when Eren dodged it. He charged at him again with full force, throwing another punch at his target. Roof tiles flew everywhere from the wind his punch had caused. Eren now with a slight opening threw a punch at Reiner with his hardened fists, breaking his armor on his face as if it was simply ice, knocking him down. Reiner could hear Eren roar with rage and felt pretty pissed infuriated himself. He got up and gave a menacing look to Eren, his eyes filled with determination, showing Eren he wasn't going to go down easy. Reiner was about to get ready for another push, but this time Eren attacked first and was able to knock Reiner into a house. "Shit. I'm in a bad spot. He's breaking my armor with his damn fists, while I'm just defending. _Damn you Eren!_ I have to somehow bite him out of his nape. But he keeps blocking my attacks... Alright as soon as a find an opening I'll charge at him. But right now, all I can do is defend from his fists..." Eren even another punch into Reiner, breaking the armor on his fingers and cracking his face.

* * *

"Reiner! Reiner! Why are you getting so close to them!? We have a mission remember?" Whispered Bertholdt, Reiner's best friend.

"The 4 of us were sent here on a mission! Please, remember! Annie went into the Military police, to try to get more information right? Why'd we join the Scouts? This means it's just you and me, so please... don't... don't leave me here alone again. I dont like being the only one here. It's... It's scary being alone Reiner. P-please... I beg you... snap out of it! You aren't a soldier. T-tell me, aren't we Warriors?" Bertoldt asked his friend Reiner. They were outside of the Scouts' main building, in just inside the woods. Reiner couldnt help but look puzzled at his best friend. "Huh? What are you talking about? What do you mean 'Aren't we Warriors?' What... do you mean I'm not a soldier? I mean, we're part of the Scout's aren't we? What are you talking about. Bert, are you... alright? Did your crush leaving make you feel crazy? Bud, If you aren't feeling well... let me know." Reiner responded, with a concerned and confused look on his face.

Bertoldt let go of his friend, eyes feeling watery as he starting getting a feeling of dread and hopelessness. "Nevermind, Reiner..." He looked back down and started walking away. "Bert?..." Reiner questioned, wanting to know what was wrong with his friend. Bert continued walking, leaving without answering and feeling a few tears fall down his face. He felt that same feeling from when they had lost Marcel, and when Annie left.... _Frightened_ _..._ "Dont-... Please dont leave me here alone again... _I_... _I just want to go home_..."

"Eh?...." Reiner didn't know what he just saw. What was wrong with Bert?.... "Bertoldt....I... I'm sorry. We... We have to go back, We're going back home!" Reiner, faintly remembering that day with Bertoldt, now charged towards Eren after finding an opening and grabbed his ankle. He pulled him up by his ankle and threw his armored fist into Eren, knocking him into the ground. The ground cracked and separated under the sheer pressure of his punch, splitting the earth's surface in half. Dust and debris flew everywhere, clouding Reiner's vision.

He was unable to see if Eren was knocked out or not. Reiner's vision cleared after the dust disappeared, and realized Eren was still conscious. Seeing that he dodged it, made him growl in anger. "Damn you Eren, just go down already. _Shit!_ He's trying to get me locked up again in one of those damn arm locks! Argghh!" The Armored titan struggled as the Coordinate's holder tried to snap his arm. Now both on the floor, the Armored titan wrestled to get free, and was successful when he used his strength to barely roll out of Eren's lock.

"Dammit. I guess biting Eren out of there isn't something I can do by myself. Looks like I'll have to resort to that. The signal to Bert. Bert will be able to knock him out, and we'll capture Eren easily." He opened his mouth, getting ready to roar. "He'll also get rid of the Scouts with his explosion... huh? They're making a move? I knew they've been gradually surrounding me but... what can they even do to me with their blades? I've got hardened armor covering every inch of my body. They cant even scratch me! _Eh?_ Wait what are... Wha-!? What are these? They...?"

The thunder spears blew up in the Armored titans eyes, making him roar in confusion and anger. "I.. I cant see. What were those? They just flew into my eyes. They couldnt have been missiles of any sort, could they? They dont have the technology, how is that possible?..." The Scouts were now heading in for a combined Thunder Spear attack against the Armored titan. They fired their Thunder Spears into the Armored's nape, with murderous intent. The Spears exploded with a heavy impact, shoving the Scout's away while peeling and cracking the armor off the Armored Titan. "Huh?! What was that? Was that my nape? What the hell are they doing? They shouldn't have the technology for explosives, so that cant be it... right?.. I dont know what those were, but they seem to be... explosives, of some kind. Dammit, I'll just have to wait until my eyes heal so I could see what those were...." Reiner quietly surmised.

The Scouts were now going in for their second volley of Spears, ready to kill their enemy on the spot. Reiner felt a chill down his spine as he could hear the sounds of metal piercing through the nape of his titan.

He looked up just in time to see lots of sharp metal rods, having cut through his titan's skin, surrounding him. He stared in shock at the Thunder Spears knowing these were probably what blew up his eyes... "Eh...." _Reiner, when you get back, can we go shopping? Aunt Karina said she'll make a huge feast! "_ N...NO... W...WAIT!" Y _ou should also bring Bertholdt!_ _I mean we haven't even celebrated your return. And Bertholdt's really nice, and super tall!_

"I-.. I DONT WANNA DIE!!!"... ***BOOM***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW. That took a few hours. Tried my best with only sticking to Reiner's POV. Hope this chapter wasnt too bad, since it took more time than the last one (obviously fellow warrior) yeah I know. But glad I was able to finish this chapter sooner than later. I'll try to post frequently, but I cant make any promises. SORRY :(. I'll try my best. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and dont judge me too hard. (Made a sad little Bert reference based off of another story I read a while back). :D


	3. The Battle: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner fought against Eren and the Scouts. But, he didnt expect them to have upgraded their technology so soon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than the others! I'll try my best to get a new chapter every few days, so sorry if some take longer than others. Hope this chapter wasnt too bad and you all enjoy it :D  
> *Updated*

*Reiner*: "EH? NO... W...WAIT! I DONT WANNA DIE!!!"...* **BOOM** *......

"Hey...wake up.... Hey.... HEY!" A strange yet familiar voice yelled out.

. "Huh?.." Reiner slowly opened his eyes, realizing he was laying face-down. Feeling a little anxious and dizzy, he stood up to face the almost child-like voice. He couldn't see anyone yet he was certain someone just called out to him. "Hey Reiner. It's been a while." Said the stranger.

He couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but it sounded so... familiar. He was surrounded by darkness, and could only feel chills up and down his muscular body. Reiner couldn't help but feel a little frightened, as he tried to spot anything that could help him find out where he was. Everything was pitch black, nothing to be seen, and nothing to be heard. The ground was so smooth, it was as if he was floating. He could hear nothing other than the voice and his own heartbeat, which slowly started beating faster.

He squinted, trying to look into the darkness, suddenly startled by a hand resting on his shoulder. He turned around instantly, prepared to face an enemy, perhaps a Scout, until he realized who was standing in front of him. The room he was was still pitch black, but it was as if it was only dark because there was nothing in there. No wall, no floor, it was, empty. His eye's widened in pure fear. He was able to see clearly, who was the one who had called out his name. There, stood the boy who had been the fourth Warrior who he had come with, on this mission. The boy who was supposed to be the leader of the four.

"M...Marcel?..... H..How?...... Why?...." Reiner's entire body felt weak as his deceased comrade was standing before him. He fell on his knees, now sobbing.

"Marcel... I.... why are you here?.... No.... It's impossible... You.. _died_..... Y-you were killed, _eaten,_ right after... I...I'm sorry... Its...." Marcel, now standing over Reiner, resting his hand again on his shoulder, "Its ok, Reiner." Reiner looked up at him hoping he could see anything other than his friend's death, which was caused by Reiner himself. _Am I losing it again? Is this real... or.. am I seeing things?_ He stared at Marcel, eyes still watery from the sudden surprise. "How?... No, but... Its my fault... I'm so.. sorry Marcel... Why?... Why did you save me?... Why wasnt it you, instead of me that survived?..." Marcel looked down in sorrow, a sad smile on his face.

He helped Reiner up, giving the broad Warrior a hug. "No Reiner. I'm sorry. I..I put you through this. I'm the one who should apologize. Everything your going through is because of me. I just... didn't want my brother to have to live a short life, and live through this hell. Forgive me Reiner, for being selfish." Reiner stared at Marcel with remorse. He was still confused as to why his deceased friend was standing before him. "No. It wasnt your fault." Reiner stated, cleaning his tear-stained face. "If only I didn't freeze up, you wouldn't have been eaten. None of us would have gotten hurt if only I had acted. I... dont even deserve your forgiveness. I... was.... I was the one who killed you." Reiner looked down, his face twisting with guilt and sadness, tears tugging at the corners of his eyes again.

"I was making myself believe I was able to become a Warrior with my own skills. That I _earned_ the Armored titan. But, when you said you influenced Marley's army... I... believed what you said was a lie. That it was impossible. That's when the titan came up from behind me, without me even realizing it... "

Marcel faced his friend, sorrow filling his eyes. He felt powerless, not being able to help his friend, who obviously felt... terrified. He turned around and started walking. Reiner reached out and tried to get up to follow, but he felt frozen in place. It was getting dark again and he could no longer see Marcel. He looked around, trying to find him. A chill went up his spine, as hushed whispers started surrounding him, echoing throughout the room. 

He frantically searched around, trying to find the source of the whispers, but they seemed to be coming from everywhere. He could just barely make out what they were saying. _"Reiner... you're not a soldier, remember? ....You and I, we're Warriors..."_ Reiner quickly turned around at where he thought the voice came from, only find nothing but pure darkness. A sudden feminine voice whispered into his ear, making him completely freeze and tense up, "I have failed to become a Warrior..." Reiner's eyes widened, _that voice... but... that has to be... A-..._ The voice slowly faded, before suddenly laughing loudly into Reiner's ear. The laugh was full of pain, and sorrow, but it still sounded like the girl was... happy? He tried blocking out the loud noise and covered his ears, but it was no use. The laughing became louder and louder before it suddenly quieting down, making everything around Reiner eerily silent. "What?..."

"Reiner, it's ok. What's done is done. We can't change what happened, but I want you to know that I'm truly sorry." Marcels voice echoed throughout the room, the source of where it came from still unknown.

"Sorry Reiner... You see, you weren't supposed to be chosen as a Warrior in the first place.... But...I... I influenced the army's decision by putting you on a pedestal and making my brother look bad... I... wanted to protect my brother...

_"It's a titan! Runnn!........... Gahhhhh!........."_

"Forgive me, Reiner." Reiner instantly turned around to face a bloodied Marcel. His sweater was ripped and his shirt was torn. Blood was slowly seeping out from invisible wounds. Most of his body was covered in blood. A look of shock and horror ran across his face, with tears streaming down. Reiner couldn't help but fall to his knee's once again. He couldn't believe the state Marcel was in, even if he knew he was already dead. Marcel looked down to the ground, sorrow filling his eyes. Another whisper made Reiner turn around, getting louder and louder, faster and faster, saying words Reiner couldn't understand. It was as if the words were...blurred, somehow... He covered his ears again, hoping they would go away. The whispers slowed down and Reiner was able to hear what they were saying. It was saying his name. But, the voice was now different. It sounded like... _ **Bertolt**_... he was yelling out.... " _Reiner_!"

Reiner's vision blurred and he could no longer see Marcel in front of him. He closed his eyes and waited, hoping it would go away. Hoping this nightmare would just end. As soon as he opened them, however, he was no longer in that pitch black room, he was now standing on a rooftop, behind a group of... _Scouts?_ Realization dawned on him as soon as he looked around. The Scouts were staring at something, almost seeming.. relieved. He recognized the limbless person laying on the rooftop not too far from him, and a titan creeping up on them. He tried moving, but his legs wouldn't budge. He could only stare in horror as his Fellow Warrior, Bertholdt, was getting picked up by the titan, struggling against it. He could hear his struggles of terror. Reiner couldn't think, as he felt petrified, hearing his best friend's deafening cries. He suddenly stopped and turned to look at Reiner and the group in front of him. "Guys!.... Help Me!"

"Bertholdt! No! Stop! I....I-...Ber..! Bertholdt! I'll save..! I.. I can't get to you! Please... N-no... Bert!" Reiner yelled out. But it was no use. It was as if he and the group in front of him couldn't even hear him. As if he wasn't even there. Bertholdt continued yelling out as the mindless titan drew him closer to its hideous mouth. Reiner stared in shock and horror as his best friend was about to be eaten. "Annie!.... Reinerrr!!!..." Bert yelled out, before getting his head eaten first by the titan. A tear slowly streaked down Reiner's face. He felt... _empty_... The Scout's headed towards whoever had eaten Bert, while all Reiner could do is hear the sound of bones crunching, and blood dripping. Reiner fell to his knees, trying to keep his composure until finally breaking down. He held his head in his hands, tears streaming down his face as he shook uncontrollably.

Soon after, the whispers slowly and eerily came back. "It hurts.... It hurts so much..." was what they were saying. Repeating over and over, but very slowly. The whispers were sobbing while in pain. After a few minutes, everything faded around him, as he slowly stopped shaking. A sudden pat on his back brought him back to his senses. He looked up to see Marcel, no longer covered in blood. He was back to his normal clothes, from back before he was... _eaten_. He had a small smile on his face. The whispers and voices disappeared, making everything feel.... peaceful.

"I saved you because I knew that you could bring everyone back home. Annie and Bertoldt would be able to go back home, if you were there with them. I wasnt able to stay with you guys, but you were able to be there with them, and take charge. I trust you can still finish the mission, and go back home with everyone. I know you can." Reiner stood up and gave his old friend a hug, calming himself down. "I'm sorry." Marcel just patted him on the back and said in the most serious voice, "it's ok, We were just kids. We didnt know any better. But now, I hope you opened your eyes, and know what must be done Realize, what it is you have to do."

Reiner stood upright and stared at him with a confused look. "I should know what to do? What... do you mean?" Marcel stared into the abyss before answering, "You and I both know Marley wont free everyone after the people of Paradis are annihilated. I trust you to make the right decision, when the time comes." Reiner couldn't help but still feel a little confused. _What did he mean by make the right choice? How does he know about my thoughts on Marley?_ Marcel now smiled at him and said, "Its time to go back Reiner. Bert, Annie, and everyone else are waiting, you know..."

* * *

"Oh, that's right. Reiner, you still have to give the signal. I'm sure Bert is still counting on you so he can transform." Even though he tried to hide it, Reiner's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't believe Marcel knew what was going on. However, it didnt matter. He was glad Marcel reminded him of his current mission, even if it was all just a blur. He looked at him, with determination now showing on his face. "Your right. The signal." He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He didn't know what was going on. But he could _**feel**_ his titan. _Wait...did I?... Did I transfer my consciousness?... But... Why would I need to?... I mean, it was my last resort... Dont tell me... something bad or unexpected happened?... No, it doesn't matter. I'll just try to use my titans brain then._ He concentrated enough to be able to connect to the his titan's brain and prepared to give the signal. He connected himself and his titan, roaring as loud as he could, knowing his Warchief had to have heard it. "With this, Bert will be able to take down Eren and the Scouts. I'm not sure what happened that made me transfer my consciousness, but I know Bertoldt will be able to make the right move."

What seemed like hours passed before Marcel looked at Reiner and asked, "Hey Reiner, has... has Bert confessed to Annie yet?" Reiner laughed at the statement, realizing that Marcel also had to have noticed how Bert looks at her. "Heh. No. Not yet anyways." Reiner stopped laughing and stared down in sorrow. "But before he was able to say anything she was captured by the Scouts it seems." Marcel looked at him with concern. "Huh? But... We're talking about the same Annie, right?" Reiner nodded and said "Yeah. We know her identity was revealed, at least. One of the Scouts we knew said she was getting tortured, but Zeke told us, given our powers, that was utterly impossible. That they were probably just trying to mess with our heads and make us act recklessly. Zeke said she's probably hiding somewhere. But we don't know for certain."

Marcel just looked down and said "I see. So that's why you stood up to Zeke right? Reiner, I'm certain you've noticed this before but... I feel like Zeke is... different. I know you can tell, right? I dont think Zeke is the person we all admired. It's like he... changed, somehow. He was like our guardian. It seems like he isn't very trustworthy anymore, Reiner. Be careful." Reiner could only stay silent, knowing full well Marcel was right. But... these were thoughts Reiner had before the battle. Why is Marcel mentioning this?... Suddenly, Reiner was able to hear a distant voice coming from far away, in the darkened room. _Was that... Bertoldt?... what was he saying?..._ He couldn't hear what his best friend was saying, but he sounded... s _erious._

"Reiner...I need you to .....do something f- me.... You're g-..to have.... to move a little. Im going to blow this whole place away. .....And if you can't, I'm sorry...Prepare for the worst.... I'm ending this." Reiner was startled confused as to why Bert had said that. He sounded serious, and confident. But...was Reiner's body somehow exposed? If so, then where was he that he needed to move? Dammit. If only he knew what happened, but his memories were just hazy and distant. He just couldn't remember anything. "Bertoldt, please be careful. Those damn Scouts must have done something unexpected. How was I defeated before I gave the signal? Shit. I have to move then, or else... he'll blow the whole place up, including me. Wait... If my body is exposed, and he had to warn me to move... does that mean he checked on me instead of transforming? Dammit Bert. The mission is more important than me." He said out loud, forgetting for a second that Marcel was there, a frown and concern on his face. Reiner now had to concentrate even harder, to make his body move. He connected to his titan's brain, noticing he wasnt standing, but most likely on his knees. _How did I end up like that?_ Nevermind. He had to move backwards and protect his nape, where his body has to be. He concentrated on moving his whole body backwards, and, after quite a bit of concentration, was able to complete the difficult action. Once he was done, he sat up, now feeling dizzy, knowing full well it was rare for him to move using only his titan's brain. But, it's only possible since he had to shift his consciousness.

Knowing his titan was now on its back, Reiner wondered how long it would take before whatever was damaged that made him transfer his consciousness, healed so he could help Bert. A few moments passed before he felt some sort of rising heat, and guessed Bert had transformed, using his titan's most destructive ability. "The mission had to have succeeded by now." He said, turning around to face Marcel with a sigh of relief. "I hope so. Though I do feel bad for those people of Paradis, I know it's not their fault, but it's either us or them. There is no good or bad, it just depends what side your born on." Said Marcel. Reiner looked at him with a sad glint in his eyes. "Sadly, it's just as you say. We live in a cruel, cruel world, that's just full of despair, sadness and anger. But now, the only thing important to me, is going back home with those I consider family, including Bert and Annie." Marcel turned around, trying to hide his sad smile from Reiner.

* * *

After what seemed like hours of waiting, and a bit of chatting, Marcel suddenly stood up in alarm. "Huh? What's wrong?" asked Reiner. "I... I think it's time for you to wake up Reiner. Something isnt right. You have to wake up. Now." Reiner looked confused and said "what do you mean? Everything should have gone to Zeke's plan. Dont worry, everything should be fine...." Marcel now grabbed Reiner by his shoulders, his smaller height making Reiner look down to face him. "Reiner. You have to wake up. I'm sorry we have to part so soon. I wish we had more time. But dont forget, I'll always be watching over you and the others. But you have to go. Now. Something bad is happening." Reiner still looked confused, now starting to get a sick feeling in his stomach. That's when he started realizing something might be wrong, as Marcel had stated. Now that he thought about it, why hadn't anyone gotten him out of his titan? It must have been about an hour at least, since Bert had transformed, so why is it taking so long for Pieck or Zeke to get his body out of his titan form? They would only need to turn his titan over and get his body out. Reiner felt his stomach drop after he realized his friend must be right. "Alright. Sorry Marcel. But your right, I have to go. I wish things didn't turn out like this, but it seems we have to part, at least for now." Reiner walked away, getting ready to try and force himself to wake up. He turned around to see his friend again.

Marcel waved, whispering "Take care of my brother, please," as Reiner looked at him one last time, before closing his eyes and forcing himself to wake up.

After trying for what seemed like ages, he was finally able to open his eyes, now seeing he was inside his titan. It seemed he was under some rubble, and didnt know what had happened. "Where's Bertoldt? Where..am I? His titan should be nearby. What...." Reiner noticed small trickles of steam coming from his face. "Why... why did I have to heal my face? What happened to me?... Did I... somehow, lose part of my head? Is that why I needed to transfer my consciousness? That must have been with Marcels help... I have to get up and look for Bert. I dont have much energy left, but as long as we get Eren, we should still win." Reiner tried to get up, but was only able to get onto his side, barely moving whatever it was that was blocking his vision and weighing him down. It seemed like his titan had some of its limbs stuck or crushed, as he couldn't control his arms or legs, the armor cracked and broken. He decided it would be best if he just got out of his titan to look for Bertoldt.

After awkwardly getting out of his titan, Reiner got of the rubble and was filled with relief after realizing his ODM gear wasnt badly damaged. "Now, to find Bert or Zeke. By the looks of it, Bert transformed not too far from here. But where is his titan? I cant seem to spot it anywhere. How hard is it to spot a 60 meter titan? Huh? Is that.... Is that steam over there? _Dont tell me...._ Did the Scout's defeat Bertoldt? But... No. That's impossible. They couldn't have defeated him. That must be Eren's titan then. Yeah. That's it. That must be Eren, which must mean Bertoldt or Zeke defeated him and got him out of his titan. But I have this sick feeling in my stomach... Marcel told me he felt like something was wrong too... For now, I'll stick close to these old houses and the rubble, using it as cover while getting closer. Just to be safe." Reiner ran through the streets of Shiganshina, staying close to the burned up buildings and staying out of sight. After getting near his destination, he realized something was wrong. He could hear yelling nearby, the voices sounding oddly familiar. The scene almost seemed....familiar.

He could hear a feminine voice, which oddly reminded him of Mikasa. He stopped, holding his breath as he realized something might have happened, not according to plan. "No... why?... did they capture Mikasa too? But why would they if we only needed the Coordinate?" He let out his breath and climbed onto the roof of an old house using the ODM gear he had, and layed down on his stomach, as to not show his position. Reiner slowly climbed up, getting a clear view of the horrific scene in front of him "Huh?... What?... No...That... That can't be.... That can't be possible!" He thought angrily to himself. He was able to pinpoint where his best friend was in the group of people up ahead. Armless and legless that is...

He knew he had to do something. He just needed to wait for the perfect chance. _You need to save Bert. You're the reason he's in this situation. It's your fault. Poor Bert doesn't deserve this._ Why did they cut off his best friends limbs? They couldn't possibly know about transferring the powers.... could they? Even if they did, they shouldn't have a way to have someone eat Bert, since there was no titans nearby. They couldn't possibly want to have Bert get eaten by some random titan. And where's his Warchief? Was he still outside with his perimeter of titans? Does he know Bert was defeated? He should have at least seen Bert's titan go down. _Dammit, what the hell was going on?_ Warchief Zeke should have brought th titans with him to help clear the Scouts. He started looking around, planning his possible method of saving Bert. _The mission must have failed..._ "I have enough energy to transform one more time. After that, I'd say my energy will be too low for me to even run. It will be a challenge to climb up the wall again, so I'm thinking of ramming the hardening Eren must have made. Hopefully I will be able too. I also need to decide if I can capture Eren after rescuing Bertoldt. And what is that rod on that Scouts' hand? They dont seem to have many, but it looks somewhat.... familiar. Alright. I'll get as close as I can and transform at the right moment. After I get Bertl I'll go for Eren if I can, and make a break for it towards the gate. Then I'll meet up with Ze....Eh?... Wait...no... why... Why do they have a syringe?... Th- that's impossible... dont tell me they're going to transform that body on the roof and make them eat Bertoldt? No. I cant let that happen. _Dont worry Bert, I'll get you out of this._

Reiner slowly made his way forward, climbing a few houses until he was only about a few meters away. He stayed near the side of the house watching and waiting for the perfect moment. Soon enough, everyone left the roof they were on except for one person. _Captain Levi._ "Shit. Why is he the one who's still there. I dont think I'll be able to get anywhere near Bert if Levi's there. I'll just have to wait. Huh?... No. He's already going to use it? Who did he inject with that syringe? I have to get to Bert before it's too late!"

Using his ODM gear, Reiner climbed up the house and flew towards his best friend, who had now awoken and was yelling for help. Reiner shot his cables into the blonde titan's back, getting out his blades and slicing the nape, making it drop Bertoldt onto the roof. He could hear people yelling and crying out.

He knew the Scout's were probably already heading towards him, especially that damn Levi. _I guess there's no choice._ He flew onto the side of the house and bit his hand, causing lightning to flash down, instantly transforming into his titan. After the first sudden burst of steam went away after his transformation, he could tell the armor of his titan seemed somewhat thinner compared to his earlier transformation, showing he had only so much energy left.

His priority was Bert, who was lying scared and shocked on the roof, still limbless. One of the Scout's already nearing him. Reiner grabbed him, barely protecting him from a Scouts' blade. "I... saved you Bert... I was able to get here in time. But.... im also sorry Bert, this is the only choice I have right now. You can hit me for this later." Reiner said, as he threw Bert into his mouth to keep him safe. He heard the sound of giant footsteps right after a lightning strike and turned around to get punched by the hand of a titan, most likely Eren. His armor had cracked, but luckily didnt break. Reiner easily recovered and noticed Eren had hardening on his fists, but it seemed like it was quite weak, most likely due to lack of energy. The Armored Titan growled in annoyance, preparing for another battle. Reiner threw a punch but missed and hit thin air. By now, he realized the Scouts were all over him, most of them screaming out to Eren.

There was a Scout on top of his head, who climbed down and shot something into his titans left eye. It exploded leaving his left field of vision blind. "What? What was that? Was that the rod I saw? I dont know, but it seems to somehow be explosive... is that how they got me the first time?... Shit I have to be careful of those..." By now all of the Scouts who were on the roof, were now attacking him, only to be met with armor that wasnt damaged by blades. He could tell that the titan he killed must have been someone they cared about, but he knew that it didnt matter. They were going to kill Bertoldt, his best friend, and he wasnt going to let them. He didnt have time for these annoying Scouts so he gave out a loud roar hoping they could stop attacking him for a second. 

Even though he mainly roared so he could surprise the Scout's, he also hoped his Warchief had heard him, so he could get some backup. As soon as he stopped he went straight for Eren, who seemed to be filled with only rage. The earth shook and crumbled as the Armored and Attack Titans fought. Eren's fighting was now reckless, so Reiner was able to land a decent hit into his face after tanking a few hits. Eren fell onto the ground only to get another punch into the head.

The Scout's dispersed trying to get near Eren, knowing he must have been knocked out, to try to get his body away from Reiner. But Reiner roared yet again, causing them to stop to cover their ears. He grabbed Erens body, turning him over and quickly biting into his nape, swallowing Bert just before. The Scouts could only watch in horror as Eren was taken yet again by the Arnored Titan. Reiner even made sure to take Erens arms off when he bit into his titan, just in case. The Scouts, now fully angered continued to stab at Reiner. Someone, who seemed like it could be Levi, was even trying to stab into his other eye, only to be met with an annoyed growl. A another explosive rod went was shot at him, but Reiner had blocked it with his arm, losing the armor there.

He knew they would try to go for the spot behind his knee soon, so he had to move, quickly. Reiner started sprinting around, looking for the district's gate. The old houses crumbled as he ran around them, completely ignoring the Scouts. His armor was mostly intact, except for a few pieces here and there. _I have to get out of here, fast! I have Bert and the Coordinate, but where the hell is Zeke?_ After spotting it and seeing that Eren did indeed plug it up with hardening, he got into a running stance. "Huh.... this... seems very familiar.... that's right, I did this exact same thing 5 years ago... I feel, sort of sorry... of how things seem to repeat... But, that doesn't matter right now..." Reiner started sprinting, preparing to ram into the gate, which had hardening covering the hole Bert had made 5 years ago. The Scouts that were still chasing him were now getting left behind as he was getting into full sprint, ready to break down the hardened gate. Everything seemed silent, except for his heavy footsteps shaking everything around him. It seemed like this was the gate that led into the outside of Wall Maria. Either way, as long as he got away from the Scouts, he would have a chance to fully escape.

He brought his shoulder up in front, steam escaping his mouth and nose as he crashed into the gate, shattering it like if it was the last obstacle he had to overcome in his short life. The hardening flew everywhere, breaking into hundreds of pieces as if it was glass. His armor cracked as he went through it, showing massive amounts of steam around his armor. Dust and debris flew everywhere, somewhat clouding Reiner's vision. It was almost as if the world had gone silent after he had broken through the wall that was blocking his escape. The wall that had given safety to thousands of people for years..

As soon as he got outside, he ran around the district and climbed the wall. He needed to get to his Warchief, who had positioned himself inside Wall Maria. Reiner tried his hardest to climb, wishing he had gone through the other gate instead. After finally getting to the top, he froze in his tracks. He noticed all the dead titan bodies, which were mainly just skeleton remains and couldnt believe what must have happened. He realized.... Zeke must have also been defeated. "Dammit. Dont tell me they were beaten too... If Zeke was beaten, then what happened to Pieck? I hope she wasn't killed. _I have to hurry before the Scouts notice I'm still here._ But since she's not here, I'll just have to run back to the harbor myself... that's going to be difficult though. But I did it. I... I saved Bertoldt, and I captured the Coordinate. I... I finally, completed our mission..." He turned back around and climbed down, using only the armor he had on his hands and feet to get back down to the ground. _We.. we're so close..._ He needed to get to the harbor so he and Bertoldt could go home. After that, they would come back to get Annie. That would be when the mission really ended.

He knew she had to still be alive, since he was sure he didn't see the female titan at all during the battle. Now that he thought about it, he didnt even get to see Chri.... Historia at all during the battle. "Did Bertoldt kill her? Shit. If he did, then... _I failed. I failed myself and I failed Ymir_. We are only completing our mission. But, I still hope she's somehow alive..." Reiner started sliding down the wall, landing on the ground with a huge ***thud*** , and breaking most of the armor on his legs and hands. "Shit. No, it doesnt matter. I have to get to the harbor as soon as possible, which means I need speed. But there's still titans on the island, so I should be wary of my surroundings. I'll keep the armor on my chest and face, but I'll remove the remaining armor on my arms. Ok that's the plan. I'll head towards the harbor at full sprint. Hopefully I dont pass out, and safely make it there with Bert and Eren. I also hope Warchief Zeke and Pieck are still around somewhere, so they could take us back instead. _Dammit, I dont know how long my titan will last."_ Reiner, with Bert and Eren still in his mouth, waited for his broken legs to heal, before starting to run towards the harbor, which was still a long ways ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. That took too long. Sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed or just bad in general. Also, if I made any mistakes here or there I'm also sorry :( But I hope you at least somewhat enjoyed this chapter, as it took longer and is meatier than the others :D  
> Note: In this story, the Scouts used most of their thunder spears on the Colossal titan.  
> See you next chapter! Hope you enjoyed:) (Going to have actual POV for Bert next chapter :D)


	4. Just A Little More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner rescued Bertholdt and succeeded in capturing the Coordinate. But the harbor is still a long ways ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than expected, but I hope this chapter satisfies everyone's need for some more Bert :D I hope I'll be able to finish this story, since a lot of people seem to be interested in it, so I'll try my best to make this pretty entertaining. Hope you all enjoy :)  
> *Updated*

*Bertholdt-POV* I'm feeling... dizzy, and tired, I can hardly even open my eyes. _Where am I? What happened to me? I... dont remember what happened. Hmmm... I was with Reiner and Zeke, and we were preparing for.... what? What were we preparing for again? I know I got inside the barrel Zeke told me to get in, which was placed on Pieck's pack. What were we doing though?... wait.. that's right.... our mission to recover the Coordinate...I... I transformed after I warned Reiner. But what happened after that?...The Scouts? What did they do again? I was fighting against them and then.... They took out my knees? How? They were able to defeat me? No... that titan... I was getting grabbed by a titan.... Did it eat me? Am I dead? I think I was yelling out for help. I yelled for Annie and...._ "Reiner!" I yelled out as my eyes finally focused. I heard a slight shuffle nearby, and I turned around. It was Reiner. _Huh?... Oh..._ _That's right. He was able to save me from that titan. I.. nearly died..._ "Hey Bert, how are you feeling?" Reiner asked, as he was now walking towards me. It was currently nighttime, and we were in front of a campfire. I was sitting in front of an old, tall, tree, my body feeling sore. I looked at Reiner, still somewhat dazed. "I'm feeling pretty tired and like crap. Reiner, I... where... what happened?" I quietly asked him, utterly confused.

He turned to look at me with a sad smile growing on his face. Sitting down on an old log, on the opposite end if the campfire, he sighed. He said, "We were able to escape, after I saved you from the Scouts, who were trying to feed you to a titan. And well, long story short, I rammed through the gate and started heading towards the harbor. Right now, we're currently in titan territory and are pretty far from wall Maria. I felt like it would be a good idea to stop and rest though, since I was feeling pretty beat up myself. Here," He handed me a water skin. "I was able to find a small stream nearby. Drink up, bud." _So that means... we failed?...again?.._

I reached for the water skin only to realize I was missing a few fingers. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed that, and looking down, I realized I also didn't have any feet. Steam was trickling from the stumps of my knees and hands. Reiner seemed to notice how startled I was, and was about to say something, until I heard a cough nearby. I quickly tried to turn around, startled by who it may be. Reiner gave me a quick glance before saying, "Dont worry Bert, it's alright. You're safe now. But I have to show you something."

He got up, placing the water skin next to me, and grabbing someone from behind me, on the other side of the tree. It was _...Eren_? I gave Reiner a surprised look, hoping he would elaborate more about what happened. He put Eren next in between both of us, near the fire. Eren seemed to be knocked out, with all of his limbs cut off, which were wrapped tightly in some type of cloth, I'm guessing so they dont heal anytime soon. Reiner sat down again and motioned for me to drink up, which I did, trying my best not to spill the water. He looked at me and started explaining, "After rescuing you, I was able to somehow capture Eren, the Coordinate. Our...mission objective." I looked at him with the most shocked expression I think I could have ever made. _We did it? We captured the Coordinate after all this time?..._

Reiner kept going, "I fought Eren after saving you, and somehow managed to land a pretty good hit on him. I'm guessing that punch must have knocked the wind out of him. He was already pretty weak so that gave me an advantage, though I probably would have lost had the Scouts had any more rods on them."

"Rods?" I asked. He answered with, "Yeah. They had some type of explosive rod, which easily blew up my eye. Luckily for me though, they seemed to have only a few. I'm guessing they must have used most of them on you." _Wait. I remember now._ "Huh?.. Reiner... I.. I think I remember what happened... I was heading for the horses, and was somehow knocked down.I knew the Scouts were trying to attack me, but I underestimated them... I was knocked to the ground after losing my balance. I tried using my steam ability but I was only able to last for so long, since I was face-down. After a while, they got me out my titan, and everything faded to black." Reiner closed his eyes, maybe trying to think.

 _Wait._ I quickly looked at Reiner and asked him, "What happened to Pieck and Zeke? Weren't we supposed to group up with them, after we captured Eren? Where are they?" I was now looking around, trying to spot them. Reiner seemed somewhat concerned as he answered my question. "I dont know." He said. "After I climbed the wall, I was able to spot Zeke's titans in the distance. They were all killed. I knew that meant they must have been defeated, but I couldn't see Pieck or Zeke anywhere. Pieck was just support, so she would have tried to get to us or at least escape if she was certain Zeke was a goner. If so, then she's probably scouting to see if she can find us, or maybe she's at the harbor. But she definitely should have survived." I sighed with relief. _At least Pieck should be alive. Though I consider Zeke our superior, I don't know how to feel about him possibly dying. I dont know, he seemed somewhat... off since the last time we had seen him. So it didn't really matter to me if he was dead or alive, but Pieck is pretty much the same, a little odd now, but that's pretty much it._ Reiner stared at me with a small smile, which starting to grow bigger on his face. "We did it Bert. We accomplished our mission. We can go home again, knowing we'll be back for Annie, and if possible...Historia." I smiled, "You're right, Reiner! We can go back home, with Annie this time! I mean, we also have to bring Historia, for Ymir's sake. But we did it, Reiner! We can finally go back to our hometown, finally completing our mission!"

I drank some more water from Reiner's water skin, and looked into the fire. He was right. _We were able to capture the Coordinate, and now we just have to get it back to Marley. After that, Reiner and I should be able to come back with the Coordinate and rescue Annie. Well, maybe not the Coordinate, but definitely with backup. It might even be right after we get to the harbor, if Zeke let's us. If he's still alive, of course._ Reiner stood up, saying he was going to look for some more firewood. After he left, I took the chance to look at Eren, bringing sadness to my heart. _They don't know about what's out there, and now, with Eren gone, they never will. I also don't think Marley will let Eren live, since he isn't originally a Warrior. Similar to Ymir. He might also just transform with rage and try to kill the Marleyans and Eldians back home. But I'm not sure who they'll feed him to, if they do end up just passing his power. Porco already got the Jaws, so they wont give it to him. I wonder who it will be that gets the power of the Founder's. Im sorry Eren, but this is just the way things are in this....cruel world. But... maybe.... just maybe... we could..._ My thoughts were interrupted once Reiner came back with more firewood, dropping it near the fire. He looked at me and said, "Bert, you should get some more sleep. It's been an exhausting day, for all of us." I looked at him and shook my head. I told him, "No Reiner, I'll keep watch and you sleep. You're the one who's taking us to the harbor, so you should rest as much as you can." Reiner sat down and closed his eyes, thinking about what I said. He opened them suggesting, "How about this, you sleep until your fully healed. Then I'll wake you up so you could keep watch while I sleep." I opened my mouth to argue, but realized it was probably our best option. It's not like I'd be able to do anything while being limbless. "Yeah....Alright." I told him. I laid back into the somewhat soft grassy ground, and closed my eyes, listening to the sound of the crackling fire. "Reiner. Thank you." I said, before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

_Bertie... Hey Bertie... Don't cry my son... I'll be better in no time... You'll do great there... Those boys Reiner and Marcel will be there with you, they'll have your back.... You're mother and I will be waiting for you to return.... Don't worry about me, just remember what I've taught you...Be strong!.......Please.. Finish your mission, and come back home... I beg you..._

* * *

"Bertholdt. Hey Bertholdt." Reiner quietly whispered to me, waking me up. I looked at him with drowsy eyes, knowing it was probably my turn to keep watch. He knew I was still tired, and whispered, "Hey, if you want to sleep some more, that's fine by me. Dont worry, I'll keep watch the whole night..." I sat up and shook my head. "No, its alright Reiner. You need sleep more than I do. I'll keep watch, so you should sleep and get some rest. You're the one who's going to get us to the harbor remember? You'll need the energy." I told him. I noticed my limbs must have healed a few hours ago. He nodded and gave me a hard slap on the back (which really woke me up) and laid down so he could sleep. I heard a hushed "Goodnight Bert" from him, before he started quietly snoring. I gave him a worried glance. _He's supposed to take us from here all the way to the harbor. That would be a challenge even to Annie. I mean we took our time when we first got here, to save our energy for when we got near the wall._

_I remember Marcel had wanted us to walk, instead of using up our titans and alerting everyone within the walls. We also dont have any supplies, other than water, so we have to hurry and get to the harbor or somehow get back to the wall and steal some supplies. But that would be difficult, since we would still need to somehow get to Trost district. Dammit. We're so close, yet so far. Hopefully we can meet up with Pieck or else we're pretty much screwed. I believe in Reiner, but can he really take us that far? I hope so..._

After a while, I could see that the sun was starting to come up. _We need to get to the harbor as soon as possible, but I don't want Reiner to overwork himself to the point where he cant even transform._ I decided to get more water, and started looking for the stream Reiner mentioned. After what seemed like forever, I was able to find it and filled the water skin Reiner gave me. I sat down next to the clear water, spraying my face to wake up and clean my dirty face. The small forest was somewhat quiet, the only actual sound coming from this small stream. I filled myself up with water and started heading back to our temporary camp. Reiner seemed to have woken up, and was checking on Eren. I decided to ask him what was on my mind, "So what's the plan? Should we keep heading to the harbor, and hope Pieck is nearby to pick us up? Or should we head back and look for supplies?"

I could tell Reiner had already thought about this, since he looked at me determination, saying, "We're going straight to the harbor. Dont worry I'll remove some of my armor so we could go faster, and I dont run out of energy that quick. Either way we still have a chance to find Pieck on our way there, so it's better if we just head straight to the harbor instead of heading back into enemy territory. For all we know, the remaining Scouts could be heading towards us right as we speak. Since Eren is their hope, I'm pretty sure they wouldnt hesitate to risk their lives and come after us even if we're outside the walls. Trost is also pretty far now, so there's no going back." I tried not to give him a concerned look, but he noticed. "Don't worry Bert. I wont let you down, so don't worry about me. You can count on me to get us to the harbor, I mean, there isn't really any other way right? I'll make sure we get back safely." He said. _He's right. The sooner we get to the harbor, the better._

After talking a bit more with Reiner, I asked him why I was all dirty. He rubbed the back of his head and said, "Oh right. I couldn't keep you in my hand while I was running from the Scouts, so I just threw you and Eren in my mouth and ran." I looked at him with disgust showing on my face. I wasnt exactly cheerful realizing I probably swallowed some titan spit. I felt like I was going to puke. _How had I not realized it earlier? It should have been obvious._ After nearly throwing up, I heard an angry growl from behind.

Me and Reiner both turned around to see Eren wiggling around in anger, trying to escape. The rags Reiner put on him were working, and prevented him from healing, so he couldn't transform. We decided it would be best if we just left the cloth that he had in his mouth. That way, we wont be hearing him yelling and screaming the whole trip. Though, I did hope he would eventually let us know where Annie is. I guess Historia too, since I don't think I saw her with the Scouts. Yeah, I nearly forgot, our promise to Ymir was to save Historia. But it all depends on Eren, if he's willing to speak or not.

Reiner helped tie Eren to my back, and walked away so he could transform. "I'm pretty glad I still have my ODM gear." I quietly murmured to myself. _The Scout's must have thought it didnt matter if I had it or not, since they cut off my limbs, and were expecting me to get killed._ As soon as Reiner transformed, I hooked myself into his shoulder and hanged on. I was able to see that by now, Reiner removed his armor on his legs and arms. He left some on his hands, chest, face and shoulders though. I'm feeling... happy, even with Eren kicking around with his stumps behind me, so I couldn't help but let a smile crawl up my face. "We're going back home with our objective, the Coordinate. All that time. All that pain and suffering. It would all soon be worth it. Marcel, Annie if only you two were here. Everyone's sacrifices weren't in vain. I'm sorry, Marcel. If only you didnt die, but I'd like to think that you would wish us to keep moving forward, and to finish our mission. Oh, and Annie, we'll be back for you, just you wait."

Me and Reiner had talked about him going as far as he could before he stopped. I wanted him to be careful and not over exhaust himself, but he said he would go as far as he could, no matter what. So when it was nighttime and the day had gone by with him running, I knew it was only a matter of time before he was completely knocked out. We were pretty lucky in running into only a few titans, who were too busy heading to the walls to notice us. By now, Reiner had definitely started to slow down and seemed to be pushing his limits too much. I decided it would be best if he took a break, so I crawled up and yelled into his ear "Reiner! You should stop now and rest! We could continue heading to the harbor tomorrow!" After a few moments of no response I was able to hear a low grumble coming from his titan. He slowed to a stop and immediately collapsed, his remaining armor starting to crack. "Reiner!" I yelled out in worry. He definitely over exerted himself and had most likely passed out inside his titan. Luckily, I was able to use my ODM gear to land safely on the ground. I needed to get to Reiner, but couldn't with Eren still on my back.

After tying Eren to a nearby tree, I ran toward's Reiner's titan, and climbed up so I could get him out. The armor had mostly disappeared, with mainly the muscle and flesh remaining. Steam was covering the entire area, clouding my vision. "Reiner?" I called out, getting him out of his titan's nape. _Yeah. He passed out._

I put his arm over my shoulder and helped him down his titan, which was pretty easy since it was mainly flesh that I had to climb down from. Though it was already nighttime, the moon had come out and gave me some light, so I was able to locate the tree where I left Eren pretty easily. He was still struggling against his restraints, and seemed to have nearly fully healed his limbs. I put Reiner down and prepared to make a fire. After checking and making sure Reiner was ok, I grabbed some fire wood and kindling to make a fire with. I knew how to start a fire easily since we were taught how to make a fire in Marley, as part of our training. After a few minutes, I was able to get a small fire and added some firewood so it could keep burning. By now I realized Eren was glaring at me. I decided to walk up to him, and removed the cloth from his mouth, to see if he was willing to answer a few of my questions. "I'll kill you! You're supposed to be dead! We...We were gonna feed you to the commander. And your stupid fucking friend had to come and ruin it! Fuck you and Reiner and whoever else is with you! I'll make sure you all pay! Damn You! What did you do to Mikasa and Armin?! I'll-" I just shoved the rag back into his mouth and sighed. He wasn't going to tell me anything important right now. _Huh._ It seems he's nearly fully healed, so I knew what I had to do. It would definitely be painful. "Sorry Eren, but I have to do this, just to make sure you dont do anything reckless." I said, with sad look on my face.

* * *

He seemed to have passed out from shock. I can't blame him, if someone was cutting off my arms and legs while I was stuck to a tree, I would probably get pretty damn scared myself. Luckily his blood started evaporating as his wounds closed and he started slowly healing again. I also tied up his stumps so he'd heal slowly, like before. Afterwards, I started walking around, scouting our surroundings. I didnt spot any titan's but was able to spot another stream, this one bigger than the other. I washed my face with the refreshingly cool water, and couldn't help but clean myself up. I filled my stomach with lots of water and refilled the water skin we have. After that, I returned to our camp and sat down, hoping we could finally get to the harbor by tomorrow. I'm not sure when Reiner will even wake up, since he went for a pretty long time in his titan. He had a fever which I helped calm down by putting a piece of cloth which I doused with some water. After a few hours of just silence I eventually dozed off.

I know I'm supposed to keep watch, but sleep is just pulling my eyelids down. Im guessing a few hours passed before I woke up, since I felt somewhat well rested. I looked around to spot Reiner and Eren still sleeping. "Huh, I was certain we would have been eaten or crushed while we slept." I thought quietly to myself, feeling pretty lucky. Our fire had gone out and the sun was already rising, so I hoped Reiner could wake up soon. Eren woke up after a while and started wiggling and screaming into his cloth again. I decided it would be smart if I just gave him some water, so I removed the cloth and poured some water into his mouth (which he tried spitting out onto me). I put the cloth back on again and decided I'll wait for Reiner to wake up. A few more hours of dozing off every now and then passed by until I heard Reiner groan, now starting to wake up. "Reiner! I'm glad your finally awake. How are you feeling? I mean you were out for a pretty long time." I told him.

He sat up and looked at me. He responded with, "To be honest, I feel like complete shit. It's like when we first started training in our titan forms, needing to extend our stamina." I could tell he was pretty tired and exhausted, just by the sound of his voice. But luckily, his fever should have gone down by now. He got up slowly and drank some water that I offered him. Even though that sleep must have helped a lot, I could tell we both wished Pieck was here right now. He must have seen the worry on my face because he then said, "Dont worry Bert, I'm still able to transform, so we should try to get to the harbor as soon as we can. It's just you, me, and Eren. He's obviously not going to help us, so pretty much just you and me. My titan is the only one who can get us there, so dont even think about you transforming, Bert. I know you're worried about me exhausting myself too much, but there's no other option." I gave him a sad smile. He's completely right, we have no other choice.

We tied Eren to my back again, and started to prepare, ready to continue our run to the harbor. Before Reiner transformed, he told me "If we go now, we can get there by sunset. We're nearly there Bert, so just wait a little more." I nodded and said, "Yeah. I dont want you to exhaust yourself, but if you feel like we can get there by sunset, I trust your word. I believe we'll be able make it, Reiner." He smiled and gave me a hard smack on the back. He said, "Thanks Bert, what would I do without you. I appreciate you always having my back. We're nearly done. With this part of our mission at least. But once we get to the harbor, I'll get Pieck to help us rescue Annie, and of course, Historia." I could feel my eyes light up with determination. "We'll finish this, even if it's one step at a time." I said. Afterwards, Reiner walked off and transformed. Again, I hooked into his shoulder and hanged on while Eren fought against his restraints behind me. We were heading to the harbor, where we would be able to rest.

After another few hours of Reiner running in his nearly armor-less titan passed, before I was able to spot something in the distance. I squinted my eyes, trying to get a good look, since the sun was about to set. _Its..._ "Its the wall!" I yelled into Reiner's armored ear. "The wall to the harbor! Reiner! Its here! We're nearly there!" I started tearing up. _We're so close._ But I could tell he was at his limit. His running was now slowed down quite a bit. Steam was coming out of cracks that were in his remaining armor, showing he didnt have the energy to keep it fully healed, let alone running. "Reiner it's so close! R-Reiner, we're nearly there, at the harbor! We're nearly back home! It's... It's Just A Little More!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh! That took pretty long. Though I feel like others probably could have done a better job, I'm pretty satisfied with what came out :) hope you all enjoyed this chapter, since it was also mainly in Bert's POV. Not sure if I'm going to have Zeke killed by the Scouts, or him surviving, like in canon. Let me know what you all think, about the Zeke situation, and about this chapter itself :D hope you all have a wonderful day/night, and thx for reading this. P.s. the next chapter might take a bit longer, sorry :( but I'll try by best to get it out ASAP. :D


	5. We Made It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bertholdt and Reiner have had a long trek with Eren, the Coordinate, to get back to the harbor. After a long run, they were able to finally reach the Harbor's wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this chapter isnt too bad :) I tried sticking with the last chapter's perspective, so let me know what you all think. Like always, hope you enjoy :D  
> *Updated*

*Bertholdt-POV*

"We made it Reiner!" I yelled into his armored ear, as he was running around the harbor's wall. His heavy feet clouded the area with sand as he ran around the wall. _Since it would take too long to climb the wall, I'm sure he must have felt like going around would be the best move._ I held onto the tight rope going across my chest and turned to check on our 'captive'. It seemed like Eren was asleep behind me, even with all this rumbling. _He must be exhausted too._

By the time we got on the other side, Reiner had now started stumbling, his remaining armor steaming yet again from cracks which seemed very recent. _This might get dangerous, I should get off now._ I quickly hooked onto the wall, signalibg Reiner with the stream from the ODM gear. A grunt escaped from the mouth of the Armored Titan, before falling onto it's knees.

A huge ***THUD*** caused a giant cloud of sand to race towards me, clouding my vision. Reiner had finally stopped running, and had instead crashed into the sand. _We... we made it. I have to get him out now._ I got the sandy dust out of my eyes and unhooked from the wall. I landed onto the ground and started running towards Reiner. _We made it. We made it... Finally.._. By now Eren had woken up. I felt him scuffle a little, but he soon calmed and seemed to take in his surroundings. It was his first time near the ocean, but it didnt really matter to me right now. I needed to get Reiner out of his titan and help him out.

I untied the ropes holding Eren onto me, letting him lay on the ground and ran in the direction of Reiner, who's titan was now completely dissipating. His armor was now completely gone, and only the muscles and tissues of his titan remained. "I hope he's conscious this time, so it doesn't need to be hard for me to get him out.

I climbed up his titan using my ODM gear and found him trying his hardest to pick himself up. His lower body was still connected to his titan, but he was trying to lift himself up with his arms. "Don't worry Reiner, I got you." I told him, as I helped pull him out and grabbed his arm, putting it over my shoulder. Since he was conscious, we were able to get down quite easily.

He gasped, clearly trying his hardest to stay conscious.He slowly turned to look at me and gave me an odd look, asking "Bertholdt, did we... did we make it?..." I nodded, a small smile crawling up my face. We headed towards Eren, who was now staring at the sunset, with the ocean starting to pull the sun down. "The sea"... he said. I could tell he was thinking of his friends, but it didn't really matter anymore.

I felt a pang of sadness and guilt. Even though I felt bad for him, I knew there was nothing I could do anymore. Capturing him was our mission, so it shouldn't matter if I feel bad or not... _right?_ I only cared about getting back home with my friend's and family. Those I consider people I love. My father, my mother, _Annie..._ Reiner, my best friend, was currently unable to stand, so I sat him down near Eren. "You did it Reiner. We... we made it to the harbor thanks to you." I said, now sitting down next to him.

He stared at me, tiredness obvious from his eyes and said, "No need... to thank me Bert, I'm just glad... we were somehow able to make it. To be honest, the.. past hour... I was just running blindly, as my vision was blurry and my head felt dizzy. I honestly... felt my mind starting to go black with exhaustion. Had I needed to run any farther, I definitely.. would have... passed out again." I gave him a pat on the back before handing him the water skin. "Thanks Bert." He said. I nodded and left him sitting in the sand while I stood up walking to our old comrade. I stepped towards him and stood right next him. Looking down, I could see his wet green eyes, seeming as if they could cause a river of tears. He was staring intensely at the waves, so I decided it would be best if I left him alone. But before turning around, I heard a loud startled gasp behind me.

I quickly turned, scared that the Scouts must have somehow followed us without me noticing. When I turned around, I was startled to see our Warchief standing behind a passed out Reiner, his eyes wide behind his glasses. He slowly opened his mouth, almost unable to speak, before finally talking."Bert.... Bertholdt?.... Reiner?.... how... how are you guys...alive? ...How did you guys get here?..." I was so surprised. I had thought no one else made it, except for maybe Pieck. After a few moments of silence, the earth started to shake as Pieck, it her Cart titan had now came up behind Zeke. She stopped abruptly, only managing to groan a "Huh?..".

"W-warchief Zeke! Pieck! F-finally! I'm glad your both here!" I exclaimed happily, as I started to walk towards them and Reiner. Zeke still clearly confused rubbed his temple before clearing his throat. "I... let's... let's just talk inside. Pieck, I need you to help carry Reiner and.... Eh? Bertholdt, may I ask who is that?" I looked towards the direction where he was facing and realized he was talking about Eren. He was still facing the ocean, so we couldn't tell what he was doing. I slowly looked back at Zeke. "That's the Coordinate, s-sir, our mission objective. W-we... accomplished our mission."

_Huh?_ I thought. _Is it just me or?... Is Warchief Zeke interested in Eren?_ _, He's looking at him like he wants to say something... No, I'm sure he must be curious about the Coordinate._

We were sitting at a table in the military tent, which had been given to us when we came back from Marley. Pieck had just left to scout around and make sure the Survey Corps weren't following us. Reiner woke up shortly after Pieck had left.

After all, this would be our camp for a while I'm sure. There were around 4 or 5 tents I think, which all are used for different reasons. Storage, sleeping quarters, that type of stuff. I had told Reiner earlier to go into the other tent and get some sleep but he declined and kept saying he's fine.

Zeke cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had came right after cutting off Eren's limbs, which naturally came with his screams of pain. Zeke had clearly knocked him out so he didn't get any information from us. _I mean, who knows, Eren might escape again._

He walked towards us and gave us some hot coffee, which he had made prior to us getting here. "So, now that our 'objective' is sleeping, can you tell me what happened?"

I gave Reiner a nervous glance, knowing that I didnt fully know what actually happened, since I was unconscious for the most part. I looked down in nervousness, remembering how I nearly got... _eaten_. Reiner nodded and realized that I wouldnt be able to tell our Warchief anything, so he crossed his arms, and started telling the story from the beginning.

"I don't remember how, but the Scouts somehow managed to defeat me. I'm not too sure, but I'm guessing I needed to transfer my consciousness." Zeke eyes went wide with confusion saying "But we heard you give out the signal. When did they defeat you? I'm sure I sent Bertholdt in as soon as I heard it." Reiner looked at him with uncertainty, and told him "I... dont know, but I think I somehow forced my titan to send the signal, while I was unable to actually move my body itself. It's like I was somehow able to feel what was happening near me. As if I was connected to my titan's actual brain, or in some sort of dream state." Zeke closed his eyes, and seemed to think about this, but I'm guessing he couldn't come to a conclusion. He sighed, and stated, "I don't think there was a definite reason you were able to do that. I'd say you were just incredibly lucky. Oh, so that must be the reason as to why I didn't hear, nor see Hoover transform right away after I sent him in, correct?" I slowly nodded.

My brain felt a little fuzzy remembering what happened before I transformed. I quietly started talking, "When I was thrown after the signal, I was able to see that you're nape was exposed, Reiner. From where I was, it almost seemed like you were dead." _And I didn't want to be the cause of your death if you were still alive. So there was no chance I was going to transform._ Reiner looked at me with a worried look. I kept going and said, "I didn't transform instantly because I didnt want to accidentally kill you, so instead I went to check and make sure you were alive. When I landed on your titan I was able to see you were headless, but still a-alive. I put my hand to your chest and guessed you had transferred your consciousness, since your heart was still beating. I just c-couldn't believe you were cornered that far, so I tried to warn you before I faced the Scouts. I... I was sure you heard my warning, since I was able to see you were facing u-up with your nape protected."

I could tell Reiner was thankful that I didn't kill him. He let out a relieved sigh. Zeke on the other hand seemed to have been a bit unhappy to hear this. He looked at me with an almost dissatisfied look and said, "So your saying you could have captured the Coordinate much faster had you killed Braun in the process? If they had nearly killed him, that meant they were around him I'm sure. If you had transformed right away, you could have taken them all out. That would have made our mission much easier, even if it meant taking out Braun in the process. The Coordinate is what we came for. If we were to lose his Armor, we could find it easily if we had the Coordinate. Our mission, is our priority here."

I simply looked down. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead before continuing, "No matter, we have the Coordinate and all of our members, so I'd say it's a mission success. Keep going on what happened, Hoover." I slowly loomed around, feeling my palms start to sweat again as I continued, "After I transformed some Scouts had somehow survived the blast and took out my knees. At least, that's what I t-think h-happened. I kept hearing explosions after e-explosions and by the time I looked down, I was already falling. Reiner said it must have been some type of explosive rod, since he was hit by one too." Zeke now looked at Reiner and asked, "An explosive rod?" Reiner nodded in response.

I continued and said, "After my knees were taken out, I tried to use my steam since my arms were thin, to try and keep them away, but I was only able to last so long before they cut me out. After that they must have knocked me out. I dont remember anything else except waking up to Reiner saving me from a titan's grasp and then throwing me in his mouth." I could see Reiner was pretty glad he saved me, and I was pretty thankful myself. _But who was the titan that was going to eat me? Zeke had gotten rid of the titans inside the walls before we had even camped there. Wait... Eren had said something about... the Commander?... I'll have to ask Reiner about this later._

I looked at Reiner and motioned for him to continue to tell his part of the story. He nodded and started explaining what had happened, right after I transformed. "At some point, I woke up and found myself stuck under some rubble." Zeke looked at him and explained, "Rubble? Shouldn't you have been near Hoover? Ah, I guess it doesnt matter anymore, but that must be why I couldn't find you. I suspected you must have been dead. I was able to find Bertholdt, but Pieck and I couldn't get to him, since he was surrounded by Scouts. I was also unable to do anything after a confrontation with that damn Levi." I looked down. A small frown crossed my face as I thought about what could have happened. _He could have still tried to save me, yet he decided it would be best if I was left behind...Thanks Reiner._ I thought to myself.

Reiner continued explaining, "I couldn't get out with my titan, so instead I just got out and went on foot with my ODM gear. I couldn't see Bert's titan anywhere so I thought you guys had completed the mission and left me behind, thinking I had, well, died. But after looking around, I was able to spot some steam coming from afar, and headed towards it. What I saw, had caught me off guard, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was able to spot Bert, who was surrounded by Scouts, and wanted to wait for them to disperse. He was limbless and surrounded by Scouts, as you had said. I noticed they were talking seriously about something, and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw... they had... a titan syringe." Zeke's eyes widened, before closing them and seeming to think deeply at this.

Reiner continued, "They injected the syringe into someone, and they all ran off. That was my perfect chance to save Bert, so I used the ODM gear and climbed to where Bert and that titan was. Luckily, I had gotten there in time. The titan was about to eat Bert, but I sliced its nape and transformed. That's when I threw Bert into my mouth and fought with Eren. Luckily, he was pretty beat up already, so after landing a good hit, he was already knocked out. I was able to capture him, and escaped the Scouts after running through the gate. Long story short, I tried to get to you, but realized you were nowhere in sight, and decided to run towards the harbor. After resting a few times, we kept heading towards the harbor and well... here we are. I was able to save Bert, and help capture the Coordinate. We... we accomplished our mission, Zeke." Zeke looked at him with a small almost happy glint in his eye. "I see." He said. He seemed somewhat satisfied now that all was said and done. _Almost....relieved?..._

We decided it would be best to rest and finish talking more tomorrow. Zeke gave us some food rations which we gladly accepted. Even though the food wasnt the tastiest, I was pretty glad we were given something to finally eat after these hard few days. After finishing, me and Reiner headed into the other tent and slept in our separate cots. I wished Reiner a good night and thought to myself, "We Made It" before falling asleep instantly. The cot felt like the best bed I could have slapped on after sleeping on the cold wall, and the cold bumpy floor. _Finally... we cam go home... with this, our mission is done, at least for now._

_"It was around dawn. The livestock got awfully noisy... Then a strange rumbling came from the ground, and it only got louder. I realized It was footsteps, so I rushed to open the windows..."_

The next day, I awoke with my lower body on the floor and my upper body twisted on the cot. _Those damn nightmares again._ After getting up, I could see Reiner was still sleeping, so I decided I would just go out and let him sleep. I walked out of the tent to be met with a bright sun and Zeke making some more coffee. He noticed me and walked over, "Ah, Hoover. Glad you were able to wake up so early. It seems Pieck found something a bit far from here last night while you were both asleep. Here." He handed me a hot cup of coffee while he continued to speak. "So, do you remember how I sent Pieck out yesterday? She came back with something im sure you'd find quite interesting. Follow me." I was curious, yet confused as to what Pieck had found. So I followed Zeke, who led me into another tent, this one smaller than the others. Once inside, it took my eyes a while to adjust to the darkness, before I was able to see what was in the small tent. Zeke looked at me and asked, "Know any of them?" I looked down in shock to see Mikasa and Armin tied up, seemingly passed out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheewww! I'm pretty satisfied with how this came out :) though I'm pretty sure it didnt go like some of you expected it to go, I tried my best. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, so let me know what you think, about the chapter itself, and what you think should happen for the next one :D. I'm honestly thinking of possibly killing someone, such as Eren, Mikasa, or Armin, so let me know if you dont want me to before it's too late >:D Hope this chapter fulfilled most of your needs, since I'm thinking of making it 3rd person again next chapter, but I'll think about trying again with 1st person POV. I'm really enjoying writing this story, so I hope you all stay with me until the end, so I hope you enjoyed! Have a good day/night :D  
> *2021 Note* My apologies for the late updates. If a chapter has been updated, "Updated" should have replaced "Edited". I dont have an excuse for the late chapter, but I'd like to focus on the updates before continuing.


	6. We're Going Back To Save You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner and Bertholdt made it back to their Warchief, finding out they must have been followed by a few Scouts...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy this chapter, as there are a few parts some people may dislike. This took a bit longer to make, so please let me know what you all thought! Sorry if anyone disliked this chapter, but I hope you'll still stick to the end. Hope you all enjoy!  
> *Edited*

***Reiner***

It was probably around noon by the time he woke up, feeling somewhat well rested. He sat up slowly, noticing that his best friend Bertoldt wasn't in his cot sleeping. "Ah, he must have woken up sooner than I did." _I'm kind of glad he didn't wake me up though. I'm still feeling... pretty shitty._ He thought to himself. It felt like he really needed that sleep, since the last couple of days have been pretty exhausting. Battling and transforming twice in one day wasnt too bad for the Armored titan, but needing to run for around 2-3 days was quite the challenge since his titan wasnt meant for endurance. While he was lost in thought, he didnt notice Bertoldt coming into the tent, looking rather sad. "Oh, Reiner, you're awake." He said, now standing in front of him. He continued, "Umm. Reiner. W-we have to talk. Zeke... showed me something... something Pieck had f-found while we were asleep." Reiner looked at his tall friend, feeling confused as to what has him looking nervous and somewhat sad. He was even sweating, meaning something serious was going on. Reiner asked, "What is it Bert?" He wondered what it was Pieck could have found, way out here. He thought quietly to himself, "could it be another titan shifter? The attack titan is still missing, but it could be inside Eren along with the Coordinate. Yeah that's the most likely assumption, so it cant be another shifter. But what could it be that has Bert so worked up?" He looked at Bertoldt now, expecting a response. Bertoldt sat down across Reiner, and started explaining what had recently happened. "I woke up in the morning and found Zeke outside. He told me he wanted to show me something, so I followed him to see what it was. He took me into the small tent and showed me what Pieck found last night. It turns out, while she was scouting, she found a few Scouts, some if them were already dead from what seemed like a titan...but...there were still 2 alive...Reiner raised his brow, guessing they must have been followed by the Scouts without noticing. " _Did they follow my footprints, and get attacked by an abnormal or something?_ Bertoldt kept going. "The two that survived, was... Armin and Mikasa..." Reiner looked at his friend slowly widening his eyes, as realization hit. He grew a shocked expression on his face. Reiner opened his mouth and said, "Mikasa, and Armin?... huh....I see. So they were the only ones left huh? What did Zeke say?" Bertoldt looked down and explained to Reiner that their Warchief had suggested to just kill them but Bertoldt had interfered and suggested keeping them alive, as perhaps hostages.

Reiner was now walking to where his Warchief was, since he was told by Bertoldt that Zeke wanted to see him as soon as he woke up. He was able to spot Zeke, who was standing outside one of the tents, drinking what seemed to be coffee. Zeke noticed Reiner was now coming towards him and stood up to hand him a cup full of coffee. He scratched his ear and stated, "Here. I'm sure Hoover had told you about the situation?" Reiner nodded, so Zeke continued. "It seems you two are...familiar with the Scouts we found. According to Pieck, there were two other bodies nearby. Her description of them was rather vague, since there wasnt much of them left. Sadly, it didnt seem like that damn Levi was there, which means he's most likely still alive. I guess that just means I still have a chance to kill him myself... Anyways, the Scouts that were found were described by Pieck. Both were male, and one was taller than the other. That's all I was told by her, so if you want to know more, ask Pieck. But I called you here to discuss more about our... 'hostages'. It didnt really seem that important to me if they lived or died, since we already have what we came here for, the Coordinate. But Hoover seemed to have a different opinion and asked to keep them alive. I dont really see the reason as to why, but I'd like to know what's your opinion on this." Reiner thought about what he should say. _Should I go with Bertoldt, and try to keep them alive? But... what's the point? Mikasa and Armin are loyal to Eren and the people inside the walls, so they wouldn't tell us anything we want to know. They would only put up a fight or try to escape. Mikasa is also an Ackerman, so she's dangerous even by herself, and Armin is way too intelligent. I'm certain he was the reason Bertoldt was taken down, so he must have been the one to take me down as well. Either way, if we keep both of them alive, they'll try to escape with Eren._ " He didn't know what to do. _Bertoldt wants to keep them alive, but why? ...wait...is it...because of Annie? That's right. He wants them to talk about Annie, and what they know about her. Now that I think about it... I never gave Ymir's letter to C.. Historia. We have to go back, no matter what. But in order for us to go back, we need Zeke's permission, and in order for him to give us permission, we need information, and a good reason to head back. Alright. I know what I have to do. Dammit. Marcel, I hope you know I'm trying my best, even if this isn't the right option._ Reiner gave his Warchief a determined look and said, "Yes. We should keep them alive, at least for now. If we use them as hostages, we can maybe get Eren to talk and give us information we need." Zeke scratched his ear and asked, "And what information would that be, Braun?" Reiner thought about Annie and Historia. He told his Warchief, "Information on Annie, so we could rescue her." He didnt want to mention how Historia might have royal blood in her, unless he had to. So he wouldn't mention her at all. Zeke closed his eyes, thinking about what Reiner had just proposed. He drank some more coffee and gave a deep sigh, "Alright. We'll use those two as hostages, to see if Eren will say anything useful. If it comes to it, I guess we could kill one of them, if not both." Reiner nodded at Zeke's suggestion, hoping he didnt need to kill either of them. He knew that this probably wasnt the best option, but he didnt care anymore. _Dammit, what would Marcel have done?_ Reiner only wanted to get to Historia as soon as possible, and get his best friend Bert to his beloved Annie. In order to do that, he would have to get information, one way or another.

A few hours later, they had Eren outside, sitting on the sand with his limbs still cut off, and tied up. All 3 warriors were surrounding him, with the exception of Pieck, who was sleeping in her titan form just outside the camp. Reiner walked up to Eren, and took out the cloth that was in his mouth. Eren instantly started yelling, "Who the hell do you think you all are?! You're going to try to make me talk right?! Well, guess what? That's not happening! You're all monsters. Monsters who should be killed without mercy! I'll make sure you all die in the most painful way possi-" Bertoldt with a concerned look walked up to Eren and asked, "Where's Annie? What the hell did you guys do to her?" Eren smiled menacingly, and yelled, "She's getting tortured by the military, and you guys cant do anything about it! Oh, you should have heard her screams of agony!" Zeke motioned to Reiner, while explaining that Annie cant be getting tortured because of her powers. While his Warchief was talking, Reiner went inside the small tent, bringing an unconscious Armin outside. As soon as he did, he was able to hear a large cry from Eren. Reiner couldn't help but look away from the scene in front of him, as Eren was struggling and yelling out, wanting to save his friend. After another gesture from Zeke, Reiner went back inside to grab the other unconscious 'hostage'. Now bringing Mikasa out, Eren was just wiggling on the ground sobbing, seeing his best friends captured by the enemy. _Is this really the best choice?..._

Even though he was the one who tied them up, Reiner couldn't help but feel bad for his old comrade, knowing it must be difficult seeing your only family tied up as hostages. He didnt want to do this, but he just couldn't see any other way to get information out of Eren. _We wont kill them, we'll just use them as bait for Eren to talk, then we'll let them go. I don't think Warchief Zeke will let them come with us, unless we have a good reason,_ Reiner told himself. Zeke walked towards Reiner and picked up Armin, who seemed like he was starting to wake up. Bertoldt picked Eren up from the ground and asked him again in a calmer voice, "Eren. I need you to tell me. Please. Where's Annie? If you tell me, and it turns out to be true, we'll let you all go. I just want to bring her back. Please Eren, tell me where she is." Zeke threw Armin in front if Eren, who cried out at the sudden rush of pain. Eren looked at his friend through tears, probably thinking he shouldnt give any information to the enemy. Bert insisted again, "Please Eren. Where's Annie? What do you know about her? Do you know where she is?" Eren looked at Bertoldt, then at Reiner, and finally at Zeke. Eren spat at Zeke's boots after yelling, "Fuck you!" It seemed this got to Zeke's last nerve, as he picked Armin up by his hair, and started slamming his face onto a nearby rock. Reiner looked at his Warchief's actions in shock, hearing the grunts of pain coming from Armin before walking towards him to try and stop what was happening.

Before he could do anything, Bertoldt grabbed his arm, holding him back. Bert shook his head with a nervous and sad, almost apologetic expression on his face. He knew there would be heavy consequences if they stood up to their Warchief. That would be showing disloyalty to him, which meant showing disloyalty to Marley itself. That's would Zeke would always say. Reiner stepped back, shutting his eyes in both sadness and helplessness. He now remembered if he stood up to his Warchief again, his armor would be taken and given to another Warrior. He tried to shut out the screams of agony coming from Eren, who could only watch as his friend's face was crushed. Bertoldt looked down, most likely wishing Eren had just said something instead of pissing off their Warchief. This must be the consequence of being an enemy of Marley. After what seemed like forever, Zeke finally stopped bashing Armins head in, and turned around to face everyone and ordered, "Hoover. Braun. Keep trying to get information out of him. If nothing comes out of his mouth, kill the other one too. I'll dispose of this one here and clean myself up. Pieck, come with me, we still have some work to do with other... matters." Zeke looked at Reiner and Bertoldt before saying, "We only have roughly 15 days before 'they' come to pick us up. If you don't get any useful information out of him, we're leaving the island without Annie, and killing the other devil. If we do get something, I'll think about sending you guys with Pieck on a small rescue mission." He scratched his ear as he walked away with Pieck, who had Armin's dead body hanging by his leg from her mouth.

Reiner sat down on the sand, feeling helpless. Should he have tried to stop his Warchief from killing Armin? What would have happened if Bert didn't hold him back? _You said having both kept alive would be a problem, did you not?_ Even if Bert didnt hold him back, what would he have done, stop his Warchief? Reiner could see Bert looking down, most likely feeling helpless like he was right now. Reiner couldn't help but feel a little guilty, since he was the one to agree with Bert's idea. It wasnt either of their faults right? They didn't think things would go this way. He thought to himself, _Could I... Could I have saved him? Maybe I should have just chose another option. Shit. This is just like the situation with Marco..._ Reiner could still see Marco's screams of pain, his yells for reason. "We haven't even... had a chance to talk this through!" Those were the words that will haunt Reiner for the rest of his life. But right now, he had to finish what he helped start. _Yeah, that's what Marcel would do right?_ He would keep calm and handle the situation as it should be handled. Alright. Reiner took a deep breathe and stood up. He walked up to Eren and crouched down so he was face to face and told him, "Eren. We need your cooperation on this. I need you to answer my questions, and I'll find a way for you and Mikasa to not get killed." Eren just layed there, motionless. Tears streaming down his face, not even struggling anymore.

Reiner could tell Eren was on the verge of giving up. He picked Eren up by his shoulders and said, "Look, I'm sorry about Armin, but if you want Mikasa to live then I need you to follow whatever Bertoldt and I tell you, unless you want to get on our Warchief's bad side again." Eren looked up from the ground and into Reiner's golden eyes, maybe thinking of him as a 'Big Brother' like he used to. It seemed like he was thinking, and was taking what Reiner had said into account. Reiner pointed to Mikasa and told Eren, "She's your only family left now, right? If you dont want her to die out here then tell us what we need to know. I can't guarantee any of your safeties unless you trust us and dont try to resist anything we tell you to do. Do you understand me?" Bertholdt just stood behind Reiner, glad his friend decided to take the initiative and try to get Eren to talk.

Eren slowly nodded. It seemed like he was giving in to Reiner's proposal. Eren looked at both Warriors before telling them in a quiet, almost sad voice, "It's not like I've got much of a choice... Damn you... We... we dont know how but.. Annie... crystalized... herself. I was fighting her and was about to... eat... her before she suddenly made some sort of crystal surround her body. She.. I heard Hange said something about her being underground, in Stohess district..." Reiner could tell Bertoldt was shocked behind him at what Eren had just said. _She crystalized herself? How?_ That's impossible... but... it didnt seem like Eren was trying to lie to them, so for now, Reiner would keep that as useful information. Now, the next important thing. He asked in a quiet voice so he couldn't possibly be overheard by Zeke, "Eren. I need to know. What happened to Historia? Where is she?" Eren seemed to tense up. He slowly opened his mouth and asked, "Historia?... Why... do you want to know?" Reiner looked down and told eren he had a letter from Ymir he had to give her. Eren then relaxed and said, "I see. Well, I dont think you'll be able to see her...You wont be able to see her because she's... the queen..."

Reiner looked at Eren with a shocked expression. _She's the queen? No...but... Shit..._ If she did have royal blood, then it doesn't seem far-fetched...and if she is the queen... _Dammit_. Reiner shut his eyes thinking hard about what he should do. He suddenly felt a comforting hand on his shoulder, and turned around to see that it was his best friend Bertholdt. Reiner felt a wave of encouragement and realized he would have to believe what Eren said was true. "That's the only lead we have after all."

Later that afternoon, Mikasa woke up, so Reiner put her near Eren so she could calm down, and told her about Armin. She instantly yelled and started crying out. He decided it would be best if they were left alone, so they could have some time to mourn their friend. Now what was left was Zeke. Reiner sat down outside, thinking to himself, "I have to somehow convince him to let Bert and I back into the walls. I dont know if he'll let us though, since we only have around 15 days before the Marleyan ship arrives. I mean we dont even know if our information is true. Shit. I... dont know what to make of all this. Since we have the Coordinate, the people within the walls are doomed. I want to rescue Annie, but I also want to take Historia with us, so she doesnt die when we come back. But there's no possible way I'd be able to talk to her if she's the queen. I... also.. dont want to kill anyone if it isnt necessary. Shit... I just... dont know what to do anymore... If I mess up again, I'm going to get more people killed. But I'm a Warrior, so we have to kill when ordered to, right? When did it come to this? When have I started second guessing everything I've known? _Fuck, if only Marcel told me what to do._ Now that I think about it, I've done so many irreversible actions... _You should have died already._ I just want all this to end already." He had his head in his hands, feeling like he was about to start tearing up. Suddenly he was able to hear a little voice in the back of his head that told him, "Reiner. They need you. You need to help them, and everyone else. You need to help save them. I'm counting on you." Reiner lifted his head, recognizing the voice. "Marcel..." He decided he knew what he had to do now, so he stood up and started walking towards his Warchief's tent. He walked through and saw Zeke drinking his coffee, and reading some type of map. Reiner stood straight and saluted his superior before saying, "We got valuable information from Eren sir." Zeke lifted his brow in curiosity, before scratching his ear and asking, "Really now? What has Eren said that could be of value to us?" Reiner looked at his superior and said, "He told us Annie was most likely underground in the Stohess district, crystalized." Zeke seemed to think about this. He looked at Reiner and asked, "So, do you think you're able to rescue Annie and get back within, let's say, 13 days? And how do you even know he was telling the truth?" Reiner looked at Zeke with full determination and said, "he doesnt have any family, except for that girl he's with, so I told them they have a chance at being kept alive if we find out he told us the truth." Zeke sighed and told Reiner, "I'll think about your request to rescue Annie. Though I'll need Bertholdt's opinion on this matter too. Tell him to come see me later. I'll probably need to send Pieck with you guys, so I need to think of a good way to do this. So give me a few hours, and I'll see what I can think of." Reiner nodded and left Zeke's tent, thinking to himself, "Alright. At least we're getting somewhere. Even if we do somehow rescue Annie, I still dont want to leave Historia here on Paradis. _But If she is the queen how am I supposed to get to her?_ And what would I even say? Should I ask her to come with us, or should I just kidnap her and group up with Bert and Annie? _Dammit_. Ok. I have a little time to think, so I should use it wisely. Now, where's Bert? I need to let him know what's going on."

After letting Bert know Zeke called for him, Reiner went back into the tent he slept in, and sat down on his cot. It was evening now, so Zeke would soon give him and Bert their rations for dinner. Reiner closed his eyes, thinking over everything that happened. Armin was... dead. Before coming here, he asked Pieck about Armin. Pieck told him Zeke ordered her to throw Armins body into the ocean. Reiner couldn't help but feel guilty. Though he didnt want to think of Armin, he could remember his days when he was a cadet, sometimes even helping Armin improve his physical scores. But Armin was intelligent, so maybe this was a good move that Warchief Zeke had made. He quietly thought to himself, "But was it really? Was it necessary for Armin to die? Maybe... But it was Zeke who wanted to kill him, so I couldn't do anything against that. Shit. Well, there's no going back now. Alright, I'll try to keep at least Mikasa alive. But I dont think Zeke will let Eren live, since we're here for his power. Either way, I dont think Eren knows about the curse yet. I'll have to try my best to keep them both alive, for now at least. But Bert and the other's are my priority, so if Zeke tries the same thing with Mikasa that he did with Armin, I cant do anything about that. No matter, I'll worry about this situation later. Right now my focus is on Historia and Annie."

Later that evening, Bert came in with Reiner's dinner rations. He gave Reiner a gleeful look and said, "Reiner. How did you do it? I talked with Zeke and he let me know what you told him. He said he approved of your request and asked me if I wanted to join you on the rescue mission. I obviously agreed, so he told me he wanted both of us to meet up with him at the campfire outside later, to discuss our plan." Reiner felt a huge weight fall off his shoulders. His request was approved by their Warchief, so now they can rescue their fellow Warrior. Reiner now could only hope Eren had told the truth about where she was at. He ate his rations talking with Bert about what he should tell Annie once they see her again. All Bert could do was stutter in response and keep getting flushed each time Reiner acted out a scene that he wanted to see happen. Reiner laughed at his friend, hoping these type of happy moments could last forever.

Reiner and Bert walked out the tent after finishing their rations and started walking towards the campfire. Zeke and Pieck were already there, waiting for them to discuss the plan. Zeke was making some more coffee again, and handed two cups to both Warriors. They all sat down on some tree logs, using them as chairs while drinking their coffee. Zeke cleared his throat, now ready to discuss the plan, "Alright. Here's what's going to happen. Pieck will drop you guys off at a rendezvous spot, most likely a farm house or something similar that's outside... Stohess, was it? It will take around 5 hours or so for her to get you guys there. After she drops you off, you both will have 10 days at the most to get Annie out and back to that same spot where Pieck drops you off at. She's going to come back and stay here with me, and will only go back every 5 days. So if your not there after 5 days, you only have 1 other chance to get picked up by Pieck. I dont want to risk losing her if I dont have to. We already have the Coordinate, so this mission isnt as important as your last one. If you cant find Annie, then just come back. Like I said, you only have 2 chances before I decide to leave you both here on the island." Reiner and Bertoldt both nodded and said, "Understood." They discussed the plan a little more and decided it was time to go and get some rest. Before Reiner left though, he quickly asked his Warchief a question that's been on his mind, "Eh... Warchief Zeke? May I ask, where's Eren and his friend, Mikasa?" Zeke turned around to face him while scratching his ear and said, " I knocked the girl out after trying to give her some food. She wouldnt stop yelling and kicking, so I decided it was for the best. Eren's passed out, since I cut off his limbs so he didnt regenerate, but I also gave him some food so he doesnt die on us. Dont worry about them Braun, but if you guys dont come back, I'll only be taking the Coordinate with us back to Marley. You already know what will happen to the girl if we leave her here without supplies." Reiner nodded and started walking towards his sleeping tent while thinking to himself. "So if we want Mikasa to live, we have to get back before Zeke leaves. Otherwise he'll leave her tied up and let her starve to death. Seems like me and Bert have another life on our hands. _Shit_. But we can do it. We will rescue Annie and Historia, and get back before Zeke leaves. Ok, so the mission will be starting tomorrow, which means I'll need all the energy I can get." Reiner walked into his tent, and noticed Bert had already fallen asleep, as his legs were starting to take an odd position. Reiner layed down in his cot, hoping the coffee would still let him sleep and quietly whispered, "Goodnight Bert," before closing his eyes, mentally preparing for what's to come in the upcoming days. Before falling asleep, Reiner thought to himself, _Historia, Annie...dont worry, We're Going Back To Save You._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Then again, maybe it took less time than the others... Well, anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as I took more time editing this than the others. Sorry for anyone that hated how this chapter went, but just know I was at first planning all of paradis to possibly die. I mean who knows, i might still take that direction >:D. I still hope you enjoyed this chapter, at least somewhat :) hope you all have a wonderful day/night, and I'll see you all next chapter! (P.s. if you have a suggestion on how you want the next chapter to go, let me know before its too late. Or if you want the POV of a specific character, also let me know.)


	7. We'll Save You No Matter What, I Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the permission of their Warchief, and a time limit, the Warriors were finally allowed to rescue their fellow comrade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHH IM SORRY. IM SORRY FOR THIS LATE CHAPTER! To be honest, I haven't felt much inspiration, so I decided to rewatch a bit of Season 2 and 3 of AOT. Im feeling somewhat relieved I got this chapter down though. Hopefully I can get back on schedule and update regularly, so bear with me. Sorry this chapter is somewhat short compared to the other's, but hopefully you all still enjoy it! :D Kudos!  
> *Edited*

*Reiner-POV*

"...Sorry Reiner..." I looked at Marcel, completely confused as to why he was apologizing. The four of us were sitting in front of the fire, getting ready to sleep for the night, since it'll be harder to get to the wall without seeing anything. Marcel was the one who had suggested we just continue in the daytime, even if it'll be more dangerous.

"Huh?..", was all that could come out of my mouth. He continued, "You see... You....weren't supposed to be chosen as a Warrior in the first place....But...I...I influenced the Army's decision, by putting you on a pedestal, and making my little brother look bad..." I was still confused... _What did he mean?_ I was still speechless and felt utter dread climbing up my spine as he looked down, with tears now in his eyes. _He had to be lying...right?..._ He continued, "I... wanted to protect my brother... I'm sorry... Reiner." .. _...._

 _Why.... are you apologizing...?... I'm...a chosen Warrior, entrusted with the Armored Titan... I'm supposed to get rid of those devil's and save the world..._ "Eh..?" The sound of the ground cracking and a loud groan made me turn around.

"It's a titan, Run!" Someone yelled something out, but I couldn't make it out over my own puzzled thoughts. _A titan? But...h...Why?..._ I could only stare in shock as it lunged at me, ready to eat me and take my power.

I suddenly felt myself being shoved, and and loud yell as I was pushed away from danger. I wasn't able to process anything until I sat up and looked in horror at what happened. Marcel... he was in the grip if the titan, taking my place....saving **_me_** over himself... I could only stare in disbelief, it all happened so fast. Our leader was in the clutches of death, and I just sat still, horrified as to what was happening. Immediately after he was eaten, my only thought was to _run...run... RUN.......run, from danger..._

 _He looked at me in horror._ M...Marcel... _He stared at me... hoping I could save him... But I only watched in horror as he got put into it's mouth. I only watched_ _until I heard a loud_ ***Crunch*.** The crunch causing blood to fly everywhere. The crunch that would now haunt me forever. The crunch that killed Marcel Galliard because of _me_. _No... Why?....Why did it have to come to this? **I... Im a chosen Warrior entrusted with the Armored titan.**.._Damnit... I got up and ran. _**I'**_ ** _m going to punish the island devils_**.... _I'm such a coward. I should have gotten grabbed instead._ Marcel.....Marcel.... Forgive me for being a selfish coward. Forgive me, Bert, Annie... forgive me for leaving you behind. _"I'm sorry!"_

_**And become the Hero who saves everyone**..._

I opened my eyes, feeling drenched with sweat that was covering my entire body. I quickly sat up on my cot and looked around, my eyes darting everywhere. I spotted Bert, who had his feet locked together in an odd position, still asleep. All I could hear was Bert and the ocean waves, hitting the shoreline.

For some odd reason, his light snoring helped calm me down a bit. I relaxed, realizing it was just a nightmare, and Bert was still here, at least. _I see. So it was...just... just a dream..._ I layed back down, now letting out a long breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I waited a little bit and trying to calm myself down, before closing my eyes again, hoping I could get some more sleep. We're going to have a long day ahead of us, so I need as much energy as possible. _I'm pretty sure it's around midnight, so I'll try to get some more sleep._ Zeke is supposed to wake us up, so I dont have to worry about sleeping in. I can still hear Bert, lightly snoring. _Thanks Bert. Huh... I wonder what he dreams about._

"Reiner. It's time. Get up already." I opened my eyes to see my Warchief standing over me. He motioned toward Bert and said, "It's morning already, so wake up Hoover and get ready. Meet up with me and Pieck at the campfire once both of you are both done." I responded with a simple "Yes sir", and he left the tent. I looked at Bertholdt, who had one of his legs spread so far apart, his foot was right next to his head. _Heh,_ _I wonder how he does that, since he says he isn't very flexible._ I got up and started changing, putting my heavy boots on and switching into another uniform, since my last one was ruined.

Now that I finished changing I walked towards Bert and starting gently shaking his shoulder. I dont exactly want him freaking out and kicking me in the face like last time. "Hey Bert...Bertl... Wake up bud. It's time." He opened his eyes and gave a loud yawn, somehow bringing back his leg to it's original place, without a bone even cracking. "Reiner?... oh. Right. We have to get ready. Alright, dont worry, I'm getting up." Now that he's awake, I stood up and went towards the entrance of the somewhat small tent, telling him we'll wait for him at the campfire.

But before I opened the flaps, I stopped. I turned around to look at Bert, who was getting up from his cot. "Hey, Bert?" He looked at me, still half asleep, "Yeah?.." _There. There it was again. He had some sort of sad glint in his eyes. I noticed it yesterday while we were with Zeke._ "I was just wondering... you feeling alright? If you need anything, just ask. I mean, everything has been pretty crazy lately, so if you're not feeling well, let me know." He put on fake smile which nearly caught me off guard. "Dont worry about me Reiner. I'm ok. Just a little tired, that's all." He continued putting on his boots, so I left the tent. He seemed sad, and kind if scared. Was it because of our new mission? Or maybe something he was thinking about... something he dreamed? If only he would tell me. _But I guess that's Bertl for you, always staying strong...but... Bertholdt... are you hiding something from me?... No... I highly doubt it... but..._ I'll just have to keep a close eye on him for now and hope he feels better soon. He is my best friend after all, so if he's in bad shape, I'll have to help him in whatever way I can.

I walked towards the campfire, still feeling somewhat sleepy. I could see Zeke holding a cup of what I assumed was coffee, and Pieck who was not too far off, sleeping. The campfire itself looked rather cozy, as it was surrounded by small boulders. There was a makeshift rack which was holding three metal coffee mugs. Even the tree logs they used last night were smoothed out. Zeke, who seemed to be waiting for us, motioned for me to sit down, which I did. He handed me a cup full of his favorite, coffee, "Thanks, I needed this to help wake me up." I told him, taking a sip of the steamy drink. It was slightly bitter, but luckily, it seemed like our Warchief had done us the favor of sweetening it with sugar. "Glad to see you actually got up. Pieck always takes another nap after I wake her up." He turned around to look at the sleeping Pieck, a small chuckle escaping his mouth. "Where's Hoover?" I drank some more of the coffee he handed me, hoping it would help me feel less sleepy soon. "He's still changing" I replied. Zeke nodded and took a sip of his coffee.

A few minutes passed by before Bert finally came. Zeke handed him his cup and motioned for him to sit down. Afterwards, Zeke stood up and cleared his throat, ready to go through the plan. "Alright, my Fellow Warriors, now that both of you are here, we can get started. I got everything ready on Pieck, so you both will just have to unload the supplies when you get there. I'll go through the plan again, so you guys could refresh you're memory.

Pieck will only drop you off, then come back. She'll help out in whatever she can, but she isn't supposed to stay long. You'll need to scout around first before deciding which house is the best for your 'temporary stay'. If you dont find any without getting too close or too far, just take what you can carry and go on foot.

As soon as you both are feeling comfortable, head towards the wall in search of Annie. Try to get as much information as you can of her whereabouts. My guess is some soldiers will need to be bribed. Others might not even care and just outright tell you what they know. It's not confirmed she's 'in a crystal', so if you dont find anything, think about maybe going deeper into the walls. Obviously, you'll have to be quite cautious. 

If you come to the conclusion, that she is indeed, 'captured', then you'll have to find out where shes being held. Once you have a decent idea, the way you rescue her is up to you. The loud way, or the quiet way. If you choose the loud way, here's my plan.

Braun will use his titan and will cause a distraction, while Hoover rescues Annie. He'll have to get as many soldiers as he can to focus on him, as Bertholdt goes in and gets to Leonhart. Bertholdt, you'll only transform if necessary, as it could possibly kill Leonhardt or damage the wall. We don't want them getting too suspicious of their 'protectors.'" He turned to me with a serious look on his face. "Reiner, you'll have to be more careful this time. I'm certain they have somehow upgrade their technology. They must have invented something to use specifically against us, and especially against you're titan, so I'll need you to watch out and be wary of you surroundings. If things become too dangerous and risky, give Bertholdt a signal, which will be the last resort." I looked down, hoping it wouldn't come to that.

He's right. I'm guessing it's those rod's Bert talked about. _Those must be the weapons that they made to take us down_. Zeke turned around to look at Bert. "Bertholdt, you'll have to be careful and keep your head down. As soon as they see Reiner's titan, they're going to suspect your titan will be nearby. If it's true, and Annie is indeed in a crystal, then you'll have to try to get her to break out if it somehow. I'd guess she's using her energy to stay in the crystal, so hopefully she's at least somewhat conscious. Either way, if you can't get her out, try to find a way to get Reiner to come help you out. As soon as he's there he'll have to try to get her crystal out by force. Obviously Braun will have to be careful as to not crush both of you. He'll pick you both up and escape." Bertholdt gave me a nervous, but determined look, saying "I'll do my best. I'll get Annie out and you'll pick us up to escape. If we're both in bad situations, then...If it comes to it, I'll just have to blow the whole place away." Zeke nodded and turned to look at me, with a small smile crawling up his face. "Reiner, if it comes to it, just throw both of them into your mouth. Even if Annie is still in her crystal. We can break her out later. It'll be much easier escaping if you know they are protected in your mouth by your armor. Even if it isn't very...'cozy'. " I nodded, remembering I did that before with Bert, _which he wasnt exactly happy about_... and asked, "What about the other option?"

He closed his eyes and stated, "Ah, yes. The quiet way. If you want to go in quietly, that's your choice. It could still go wrong and need you to still cause chaos and disorient everyone. Once you have information on the where Leonhardt is, you can try to go in quietly. Take down a soldier or two with the uniform you need, so you can try to fit in and not look suspicious. It'll be better if you could just steal one though, so no guards are alarmed when their drinking companion is missing. You'll use the uniforms to enter the place Annie is in, waiting until nighttime to set the plan on motion.

If anyone see's you, and they know you aren't supposed to be there, silence them before anyone notices something is wrong. Once you have her position, one of you will have to keep watch while the other tries to get her out of the crystal, if she is in there. If nothing changes and you run out of ideas, then Braun will just have to transform as a last resort. He'll have to transform quickly though, as to not waste any precious time.

As soon as you have both Bert and Annie, escape right away, even if that means breaking down another gate. If it comes to it, you might even have to try and break through the wall itself, but only as a last resort. You might get luck and go in between 'them'. I'm guessing that's how they found out your hiding spot when we were at Shiganshina, Reiner, they must have thought about inside the walls." He stopped to drink some more coffee

"By the time they gear up and start attacking, you should already be escaping, or already have escaped. When your done, make sure you weren't followed and get to the rendezvous spot where you should have your supplies. You'll have to wait until Pieck comes to pick you up, unless you want to risk it and come running the whole way again... Oh, right.... I'm also not expecting this mission to last another 5 years," He sighed. "Ok. I'd reccomend you both follow the plan, and get back before we leave. Good luck. I have to go check on our 'prisoners', so you both just finish your coffee and get on Pieck." He got up and started walking away, coffee in hand. He suddenly stopped and turned around. "Oh, I nearly forgot. If you find the Scouts that somehow survived our battle, kill them. Dont hesitate, as they will most likely pose a great threat in the future, with the knowledge they may hold. But if you see Levi, please, leave him alive... and if possible, bring him to me as I have some... matters, to attend with him.." With that said, he scratched his ear and walked into the tent with Eren and Mikasa.

"Alright." I said, now standing up, already finished with my coffee. "Bert, you ready? Come on, this is our chance to finally rescue Annie." While we're at it, we could maybe even get to Historia. I mean, I haven't even delivered her the letter... _But if she is the queen, then how would that be possible?_ Ymir wanted us to save her, but how can we if we wont even be able to get close to her? Shit. I guess we'll just have to get there first, before making any type of plan to capture her. If only things had gone differently... he could have gotten her and the Coordinate back then...

Bert finished his coffee and stood up. "Yeah. Let's go Reiner, she wanted to go home the most, so let's make sure she can... I mean, it's up to us to get her back." I gave him a hard pat on the back. This side of Bert was always... hidden. I'm glad he's being more confident in himself. This was the side of Bert which made me feel like he could actually get by in this messed up world.

I started walking towards Pieck, who had already woken up at some point, and was waiting for us to hop on. I climbed up and reached my hand out to Bert, so he could grab on and climb up. He accepted it and quickly hopped on. We both sat down on some small boxes, grabbing the bigger one's for support. Pieck stood up, now starting to walk away from the camp. I looked at Bert, and started talking about his 'beloved'. "So, are you ready Bert? We're going to save the love of your life." I said closing my eyes, a grin crawling across my face. "Re.... Reiner! Wha?.... What do you.... what do you mean?! We're.... We're not... you know... together!" He said, with heat most likely rising in his cheeks. This was always his reaction, so I could always guess what it was that he was going to say. I opened my eyes to see his now flushed face. Seeing him flushed like that made me feel happy. Even if we've both done unforgivable things, we're still human. _Though, that doesnt excuse our actions._ If bringing Annie back will make him feel better, I'll gladly help him save her. Even if it meant killing more people only for my best friend. _If anyone deserve's a happy life, its him. Poor guy has obviously had it rough, because of me._ I'm sorry Bert, for all the pain I've caused not only you, _but all of us_...

He gave me a sad look. "Re...Reiner! Stop joking around about me and Annie! I mean, we dont even know if she's interested in me at all..." he said, now looking down. I gave him another pat on the back. "Don't worry Bert. I'm sure she'll at least appreciate the one rushes in to save her, remember?" I put my arm around his neck. "Oh, and wait until she hears about the times you valiantly fought for her, even suggesting to Zeke to save her before capturing the Coordinate. How you put her above everything else. How you couldn't stop wanting to rescue her." I said, giving him a sly look. By now, Bert had become even redder than before, making me laugh. I sat back down, enjoying the view of Bert's reddened face. _Dont worry Bert. I will help you get Annie back. And then I **will** rescue Historia. Even if that means getting myself killed in the process..._

As soon, we got to the Harbor's wall, Pieck suddenly stopped and said, "Hold on tight. I'm going to climb the wall. It's much faster than going back through the way you guys came from." Me and Bert grabbed on even tighter, putting our feet through the ropes that held the boxes in place as an extra safety measure. Our grip was so tight I'm certain you could see our veins wanting to pop out. I mean you never know with Pieck. I'm still waiting for her to hit one of us for being gone for 5 years. "We're good Pieck!" I yelled out, giving her the signal to start running up the wall. My eyes teared up at her speed as she climbed, going up the built-in stairs. Once we were at the top, She stopped. I looked at Bertholdt with a nervous look and whispered, "Hey Bert? How do you think Pieck is going to climb dow-?" I suddenly felt like the ground was breaking under me. I was able to see Bert's surprised face, before I realized Pieck had jumped off the wall. I was certain we would have fallen off, but the ropes we attached ourselves to earlier were helping out quite a bit. Even though there was sand at the bottom, I could tell the landing would be rough.

She landed on the sand with her two front legs landing first. As soon as her back legs hit the ground, my whole body went forward, making me hit the box I was holding onto with a hard ***thud*.** I looked around and spotted Bert on the floor, probably internally cursing at Pieck. She continued running, knowing she made us just shit our pants. "Dammit Pieck, I'll get you back for this." I stated, with a smile now growing on my face, as the recent small cut above my eyebrow healed. She was probably laughing right now, knowing what she did. I stood up, helping Bert onto his feet. I could tell he was thinking the same thing. Seems like we both would get Pieck back for this at some point. Hehe. _Good old Pieck_. This is going to be a long trip. But it will be worth it. _Historia, Annie, We'll Save You No Matter What, I Promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even if it was a bit short. If anyone wants a specific POV for any future chapters, let me know. I'll try to get back on schedule and update this story quite often, as I feel like I got back into the mood to start writing new chapters. Hope you all still enjoy what's in store :) Hope you all have a wonderful day/night. Till next chapter! :D P.S. FORGIVE ME FOR THE LATE UPDATE. SORRY. D: I'll try my best to live up to everyone's standards, and update frequently:)


	8. For Now, We Rest, But Tomorrow, We'll Make Our Next Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Warriors are on their way to rescue their Fellow Warrior. They are currently searching for a good spot to camp out, and prepare their plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. Sorry for the somewhat short chapter.... again... Also, some of you may have realized... I updated a few chapters! Hooray! Hopefully this story will satisfy those who keep reading :D *Edited*

**Bertoldt- POV**

  
Finally. We made it close to the wall. We were finally in the area Pieck would have to drop us off at. Right now, we're searching for a good house or structure we could use to camp in, and so we have our supplies protected from the weather, and hidden from any prying eyes. Though, most houses were already destroyed, so it's pretty difficult finding one where we could camp in, even if it was only for a couple of days. The house needed to be outside of Wall Rose, close enough to get to the wall quickly, but not be spotted by anyone. I scanned the area, trying to spot a farmhouse or building in which we could camp in. All I could see is hills, trees, and grass. _We might have to just hide our stuff under a tree._

Reiner was sitting down next to me, seemingly tired from our 'bumpy' trip. I looked around searching endlessly for what seemed like hours before finally spotting something in the distance. It seemed like an old farmhouse, hidden behind quite a few trees. 

At first I honestly thought it could have been a titan, but after getting a better look, I realized it was a building of some sort. "Pieck, over there! I think I can see a farmhouse that way!" I yelled out, knowing she must have spotted it too. She headed towards the unknown structure, and as we came close to it, we found out it was just what we were looking for.

It was a 2-story farmhouse with a wooden fence all around the perimeter, and lots of tall trees surrounding it, which hid the house from plain view. I'm quite surprised I even spotted it, let alone Pieck. The house itself didnt seem to be in bad shape from the outside. Pieck stopped just in front. I looked at Reiner, a sly smile growing on my face.  
"I'm thinking this might be our best house yet Reiner. S-seems like it would be the perfect place to stay in for our...m-mission."

He looked at me, raising his eyebrow, "You might be right Bert, this house definitely seems untouched. I'm hoping this will be the last house we have to check out. I'm starting to feel pretty tired just from sitting back here." My smile grew even larger. It was hard to stop thinking we would show up out of nowhere again, and possibly kill all these people again, especially if we have to break another gate. _But she's waiting for us..._

Reiner and I climbed down Pieck's back, getting ready to go inside the house and check if it was decent. She just layed down, probably taking a small break while we check the place out.   
We had already checked a few other houses, but they were completely unstable or inhabitable. Reiner started stretching, a sigh leaving his mouth. "Alright, same plan as last time. I'll scout around and make sure our surroundings are good. You check inside and make sure the house isnt going to break apart on us. And be careful on the second floor, the floorboards might give...again."   
He gave me a hard pat on the back and started walking towards the side of the farmhouse. "B-be careful Reiner! There could still be titans around!" I yelled out, which he just waved off. I sighed. I looked around, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. _This house reminds me of back then..._

  
I opened the door, hearing the creak of the old wooden door as I pushed it open. Obviously, there isn't going to be a titan in here. _At least I hope not._ But I still prepared for one to come out at me, just in case. I walked in, using the sun's rays as my only source of light. I slowly took a few steps in, the floorboards creaking as my heavy boots walked across them. If I didnt have boots on, I'm sure I would have gotten splinters already. I entered each room on the first floor. There was a kitchen connected to a dining room, a small living room, a bathroom, and a small bedroom. Everything seemed kind of dull, and old. There was a small fireplace in the living room which obviously seemed untouched for years. 

There were stairs in the living room which led up to the second floor. I looked up the stairs, feeling pretty nervous. _In the last house we were in, my foot fell through the second story's floor. It got stuck and I had to yell out for Reiner, so he could come in and help me pull my leg out. I tried calling out for him, but it took him a while since he was just laughing at my carelessness._ I started climbing up the steps, carefully making sure they wouldnt break on me. They seemed to be in pretty good condition though, so I wasnt too worried. As soon as I reached the top, I looked around.   
There was a hallway and four doors.   
I carefully stepped onto the floors, which surprisingly didnt creak upon pressure. I started walking, hoping the floor was as sturdy as it seemed. I opened the first door, which led me into a fairly large bedroom. I decided to check the other rooms, only to find nothing except for 2 more bedrooms and some sort of storage room.   
"Alright. That's both the first floor, and the second floor. Everything seems stable enough for us to camp in here for a couple of days." I thought happily to myself. I started walking downstairs and sat on one of the dust-covered chairs. I stretched my arms, and closed my eyes, glad I could rest for a bit. "We finally found a good place to stay in. If we didn't find anything by sunset, we would have had to camp outside. I mean, we only have 10 days at most, to rescue Annie, so it wouldnt be too bad. I'll have to ask Reiner what's the plan, and what's on his mind because I know he also wants to get to Historia.

I'm also not sure if he's willing to go through with Zeke's plan, since he probably wants to save her." _But he hasn't told me anything. Dont tell me he's losing it again..._ I thought quietly to myself. We had already discussed our best option; To try and go in quietly. But if things go wrong, we'll switch to plan B, and go all-out. We didnt discuss it for long though, so I'm hoping we could thoroughly discuss everything later tonight. _As long as we can rescue Annie, I'm fine with whatever method Reiner ends up choosing. I mean we made it this far, so there's no turning back now. Our main objective was to secure the Coordinate, but the mission itself wont end until we save Annie, and bring her back home with us. She deserves it more than any of us. Even if that means killing more people...Right? But... is this truly the only the only option? People are going to die no matter how careful we are..._

I walked outside, seeing Pieck still laying in the grass, just taking a quiet nap. I smiled. Even though some people back home say her titan freaks them out, seeing her laying down like that made me feel somewhat warm inside. Even a bit nostalgic. _I wonder how she's been doing after all these years... I'm sorry Pieck, I'm sorry we didnt come back sooner._  
I heard a loud ***Snap!*** behind me, and I turned around to see Reiner walking towards me. "So? How's the inside Bert? The surroundings are exactly what we were looking for. I mean the whole house is perfectly hidden from plain sight." He said, with a smile growing on his face. I smiled back, "The house seems to be in good condition. I'd say this is the perfect place for us to camp in for our time here, Reiner." Reiner let out a long breathe and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ok, great. Now let's hurry and get the supplies off of Pieck so she can head back and we could get started on our plan."   
I nodded, "Right. The faster we finish this, the more time we have to discuss on what's our first move." We headed towards Pieck, who was still napping, and started unloading the boxes. There were only a few, so it didn't take very long. Most of the large boxes were stuff Zeke would use in emergencies, so we had to be careful not to accidentally take them. Though Reiner had nearly forgot about that as he was unloading them as well. He was passing them down to me while I had to store them in the house, and making sure we put the ones we aren't supposed to take, back. Once we finished, Pieck slowly got up and looked around.   
She let out a small yawn and turned to look at us, "Seems like you two finally finished. I'm going to head back towards the harbor now, but I'll be back in a few days, according to Zeke. Please hurry up and get back here with Annie. I do hope you two are successful, and dont get left behind, so we could all go back home. Good luck boys. Remember to be careful, always keep an eye out for anything and prepare for everything." Me and Reiner nodded, feeling at least somewhat encouraged. Pieck seemed to stretch a little, before turning around and running back the way we came from. 

I suddenly felt a small rush of nervousness. Our only other companion had just left, and it was just me and Reiner... _yet again_. I looked down, feeling somewhat uneasy. _Will Reiner be ok? Last time we were here...well..._ I felt a large hand on my shoulder, and turned around to see Reiner giving me a sly, grinning look. "Dont worry Bert," he stated, "I know you're worrying about Annie, but remember, we have to plan out how to rescue her first, so just wait a little more, alright? Come on, let's go inside and eat something before discussing our next move." He turned around and started walking towards the house, with me now following. _Reiner, please. I beg you. Please dont leave me alone, like last time we were here. It's scary being left behind... We both have to stick together. It's up to both of us to complete our mission... again. But like always, I trust you..._

***Flashback- Both Warriors are riding on the back of Pieck, heading towards their destination***

"Hey, R-Reiner?" I said, holding onto the crates, which were tied onto Piecks back. "Yeah? What's up Bert? Something wrong?" I looked down, hoping he would understand what I'm going to say. "I-I think... you should... maybe... I w-want you to head back... with Pieck, back to the harbor... Its just.. I-I want to rescue Annie by myself. I want to do this by myself. I-I know it's pretty risky, and maybe a little selfish b-but..." _It's just, I dont want you losing it and getting yourself killed. Sorry Reiner, but if you going back with Pieck means I'll be able to rescue Annie without any concerns, then it's probably for the best. If I end up needing to go full-out, I dont want to worry about hurting my best friend, or knowing I cant do anything as he slowly loses it yet again._  
He looked at me, somewhat confused. "What are you talking about Bert? I can't just leave you alone to finish the mission by yourself. I mean, I'm not even sure we'll be able to complete it even if we brought Pieck with us. We have to stick together bud. I promised to get everyone back safely, remember? Dont worry, I've got your back if anything happens." I frowned. "Y-Yeah, thanks Reiner. Just... let's both careful, alright? You never know what could happen. A-and, if you need anything, just ask, okay?"   
He nodded and continued with his rambling to both me and Pieck about the time Porco had been so sleepy, he had let his face drop into his soup. He talked about how it took all of his wits to not laugh, but in the end, he couldn't hold it in. 

  
***Flashback ends***

I continued eating my chicken soup, which was probably the best thing to eat from our stash of supplies, in my opinion at least. It was raining quite badly outside, so I'm pretty glad we have this fireplace to heat both us and the food we have.  
Reiner took a spoonful from the food in his can, which seemed like the same type as mine. We were both sitting in the living room. A lot of furniture was still here, so we didnt have to sit on the floor. _I guess the previous owners didn't have time to move out and take everything..._ Reiner and I continued eating, talking about the good times and our childhood. _I mean, this might be our last meal before we head towards our death... So we might as well enjoy this moment._ _Just like that day before we came to Paradis..._

Reiner finished his can, before clearing his throat and sitting up straight. "Alright. Well, I think it's now time for us to discuss our plan." I nodded, so he continued, "I dont really know how we should approach this. So I guess we'll go with one of Zeke's plan's, and improvise if needed. So let's take this step by step. Tomorrow morning we'll go into town and get as much information as we can. If we dont find anything useful, we'll try the next day. But on the third day, we have to start planning how to rescue Annie.   
Depending on our information, and where she's at, we might need to go in with full force. On the other hand, if the information is quite helpful, we'll be able to go in secretly."   
I nodded and asked, "But what about the people living around here? I mean some people would probably get suspicious if some guys just went around asking questions about a likely secret topic? A-and what if they know how we look like? I know they dont have photos, but a drawing? The Scouts could have put up a few in every city, village, and town." Reiner closed his eyes for a second, probably thinking about what I just said. A few moments passed before he opened them, furrowing his eyebrows and said, "We'll try to get information from a few different villages first, and claim we lived from a far off village in the woods. During the night, we could go to a bar or someplace in Stohess where we could find drunk soldiers who could tell us what we want to know. Im guessing that's where we'll find the most crucial information on Annie. Oh, and for our looks, we'll just put on something that could hide our face. I mean there's still some clothes around here right? We could use those as disguises while we ask around. Maybe put a few bandages on. Also, I doubt they have a good sketch of us. I mean, it's not like we stood still so they could draw us when they decided we were the enemy." I nodded, feeling somewhat relieved, "I guess you're right. W-we should probably get some rest now. I mean we'll have to travel over Wall Rose to get to Stohess district.   
Are we heading there before sunrise?" He nodded, saying "Yeah. I mean our only means of travel is my titan, and we dont want anyone seeing me and going back to report it to everyone. So we'll go while it's still dark."   
"Yeah, alright." I responded.

We continued talking for a while longer, before heading upstairs into our temporary rooms. "Goodnight Reiner." I said while we each headed into our separate rooms. "Goodnight Bert. And dont worry bud, tomorrow I'll wake you up so you dont sleep in. Even if that means flipping your bed over..." He said, a sly smile showing on his face.

I grunted and closed the door, laying down on the old bed. It was a bit dusty, but it was better than sleeping on the hard and uncomfortable floor. "Hopefully, everything goes smoothly for the next few days." I whispered quietly to myself, as I closed my eyes, letting sleep finally take over. _If only you had gone with Annie that day, you and Reiner wouldn't be here in the first place. It's all you're fault, for not acting quickly when you needed to. If only you spoke up and went to recover Marcel's titan. It's your fault, for not helping you're best friend when he needed it the most, and letting him rot in guilt...No... That doesnt matter anymore. What's done is done..._ For Now, We Rest, But Tomorrow, We'll Make Our Next Move. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. I honestly don't have an excuse, I've just been putting this off for a bit, so forgive me for not being consistent. This time, I'll actually try to get a few more chapters in. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, and are willing to stay till the end! Let me know you're thoughts, and what POV you might want. I mean who knows, it might be Zeke's or Pieck's POV next chapter... well, hope you all enjoy, and thanks for sticking around! Kudos! :)


	9. It's Only A Matter Of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Warriors have made it to their destination. But where is their Warchief? And what's he secretly plotting while all three Warriors are gone?...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this somewhat short chapter. Next chapter is chapter 10! WhooHoo! I didnt think I'd make it this far with a story to be honest, so I'll make sure the next chapter is nice and long for you all to read. I'll make up for the all the short chapters with chapter 10 :D So dont worry, Just A Little More...  
> *Edited*

**(Zeke- POV)**

  
It's been about half a day since all three of them left. Since I'm the only one here, I have to finish all of today's tasks by myself until Pieck gets back. I'm currently checking our stock of supplies, as now we have more mouth's to feed. "Pieck should be getting here soon. I'm sure she'll be back before sunset, so I should get started on _that_ before she gets back... So far, I've been able to finish my main tasks for the day. All I have left is checking over these supplies we have left. _Hmmm_... It seems I've left our emergency supplies on Pieck..." I let out a long sigh. "Hopefully those two remember what I told them about those crates and leave them on Pieck. Hmm. I guess it doesn't really matter. With our current stock of food and gear, we should do alright with until Marley comes to pick us up, even if we have two more mouths to feed."

I finished counting our food, and switched over to check on our gear. I had to make sure our weapons, medicine, and other important supplies were prepared or stored, just as a precaution. While doing so, I kept thinking quietly to myself, knowing I shouldnt say anything out loud in case those two are awake and trying to eavesdrop. "Huh. If I remember correctly, Reiner and Bertolt had told me something about those three. Something about them being a... troublesome, trio. That feminine looking boy was supposedly the brains... If I had to guess on what they told me, I'd say he had been the one to figure out a few parts to my plan. Glad I took him out when I had the chance. Had I left him alive, he most definitely would have devised a plan to escape with the other two. That definitely would have been quite the pain to deal with, especially after all the trouble we went through just to catch them.

Now that I think about it... I'll need to keep an eye out on that girl. Reiner had said something about her being an... Ackerman... If she's anything like Levi, I'm sure she's _another...monster."_  
I stopped, my eyes going wide. I was remembering something Magath had told me, along with a few other sources. Something about the Ackermans...."Oh?... If I'm correct, don't the Ackermans usually have a... _host,_ was it? I remember Magath saying something about that but I wasnt paying too much attention. I dont know who's Levi's, but But if that girl is indeed an Ackerman, then she would more than likely have a host... bit if she doesn't have a host then..." _Hmmm.... Wait... Dont tell me..._ "Is her host.... Eren?... but... _Shit_... If that's the case, then separating him from her will be quite the bother."

I finished all my tasks for the day, and headed towards the tent Eren and the girl was currently in. I stopped in front of the flaps, which we shut to keep the sand out. The sound of waves was starting to sound eerie, making my nerves tingle a bit. I know I have to do this, but... I sighed and scratched my ear. "There's only two ways I could go at this. Either I kill the Ackerman, and have Eren bear more hatred towards me, or I could keep her alive, as a show of _hospitality._ If I kill her, there's still the possibility of Eren joining me. If he has nothing to distract him, and I can convince him to join me, saving our race would be much easier. Then again, I doubt he'd understand why I killed her.

I'm sure he'll understand why I killed his feminine friend though, even if he wont forgive me for it. But if I keep her alive, I'm certain she'll only cause trouble for me, if not now, then in the future. It's quite obvious she'll want to stick by his side no matter what, since he's her host. But maybe... just maybe... I can convince him to distance himself from her, which will confuse her and disorient her feelings. She should falter quite a bit, which will mean I'll have time to continue onto the next step. Ok, seems like I know which route will be the most useful to me. This will all be worth it soon, It's Only A Matter Of Time before everything falls into place."   
A small smile crawled up my face. I opened the flaps that led into the tent and calmly walked in. I looked around and spotted the Ackerman struggling against the ropes that we tied her and Eren up to. Eren was still knocked out, most likely due to me cutting his limbs off again in the morning. I looked at the Ackerman who somehow didnt notice my presence until I cleared my throat, startling her. For a second there, it seemed like she calmed down, but then she glared at me, obviously trying to put up a tough act.

I sighed, and decided it would be best to talk to her and see how easy it is to change her perspective on things. I cleared my throat again and scratched my ear, getting ready to speak. "I'm certain we haven't met yet. At least not properly. I'm Warchief Zeke. I'd appreciate it if you referred to me like that, but if you feel like calling me just Zeke like everyone else, that's up to you." She just kept glaring at me. "I'm going to remove the rag in you're mouth now, so please don't start yelling out. Remember that he's currently asleep and I'm sure it would be rough for him to wake up from his much-needed rest." I said, pointing towards Eren.

I reached towards her slowly, getting ready to remove the rag in her mouth. She obviously had her guard up and was going to try something as soon as I got it off, so I pulled the rag out quickly. She instantly tried biting my hand and gritted her teeth, giving me the glare I'm certain Levi also had when he surprised me. _The Ackerman's truly are terrifying, huh._ I backed up a bit just so she could see im not going to harm her nor Eren... _for now._

"So, what's your name?" I asked the Ackerman, hoping she'd think I'm not a threat right now. A few moments of silence went by, before I decided I should try another route. "Alright. I realize you're bearing a lot of hatred towards me right now, and I'm guessing it's mainly because of what I've done, and what happened the other day, with you're friend... I want you to know, I'm truly sorry about that." She instantly seemed to heat up, and started yelling, "What!? You're sorry?! You're sorry about smashing Armin's head in?! How can you be sorry for bashing his head in repeatedly?! I'll kill you for that! You've killed hundreds of civilians and Scouts! You even hurt Eren!" She started shaking, and I could see tears starting to fall down her oddly pale face. She let her head fall and continued sobbing, not caring that me, her _enemy_ was seeing her break down like this. _What a pity. This stupid girl think's she'd avenge her dead friend if she just killed me. I guess that's just how most people cope with themselves, thinking everything is as simple as just taking one action, to replace another. It seems you still dont know the full hardships of this fucked up world, little miss. Look at her. She's just crying in front of me, as if that will help her out in any way. **Pathetic**. Dont worry little one, soon, everything will be over. __Just a few more steps before all of us are free._

 _But first, I'll have to deal with this so I can get closer to Eren._ I scratched my ear again, and let put a small sigh, "You've been through a lot, haven't you? You, and the other two boys have been through a lot, right? I'm sure you wont ever forgive me, but trust me when I say, it's better that he's gone now, since everything from here on out will be truly terrifying. If he was still alive, he would have been killed a lot more painfully, and slowly, by someone other than me." She stopped crying and decided to just glare at me again, her eyes still red and her face still wet from the tears that had strained her face.

I just sighed and kept talking. "Everything will make sense with time, believe me. I'm sure you've noticed, but Eren is our main objective. Which means we obviously don't want him to get killed, but we also dont want him going berserk and causing destruction, which is why we keep cutting off his limbs. He's the one thing we came here for, so if you really want to stay with him, I'd suggest you keep him and yourself under control." She gave me a furious, but somewhat confused look. "Like I said, everything will make sense with time. I'm not going to say where we're taking you until we get there. That is, if both Reiner and Bertolt get here in time." She gave me a started look. "Huh? W... What the hell do you mean by that?" She hissed out.

I closed my eyes, scratching my ear. "Both Braun and Hoover are on another mission right now. They are headed straight to the walls while we're speaking. I'm not going to tell you the details, but they're going there on a mission they had suggested. But, if they don't come back within a few days, I'm going to have to leave you here and take only Eren with us.

"I'll kill you before you take him!" She yelled out angrily. I closed my eyes, keeping calm until she eventually quieted down. "Would you stop yelling already? There's no one around who can help you right now. There's no point in arguing what was already agreed upon. I need them to be here when our... _help_... arrives. But if Braun and Hoover aren't back by the time they arrive, it'll just be me and my fellow Warrior, Pieck. If it's just the two of us, I highly doubt they'd want to take both you and Eren. Having both of you with us is pretty worrisome, especially if theres only two Warriors.

Since he's our priority, and our main reason as to why we're here, we'd only take him, and end up leaving you here to die off. But if both Hoover and Braun are back by the time _help_ gets here, I'm sure we could convince them to take you as well. Believe me, it's better coming with us than staying on this dangerous i-... dangerous titan filled region. Where we're going, there isnt any titans nearby, so you wouldn't have to worry about anything." She seemed to be thinking deeply about it. _Perfect..._ "If we take both of you back with us, you wouldn't have to worry about anymore danger. You and Eren can both live quietly wherever you want... together." She seemed to light up a little.

 _I knew it._ "So it's up to both Reiner and Bertolt to get back, but if they're not back in time, you're going to be left here to die. I'm certain we cant risk taking you with us if they're not here, since it seems you're pretty skilled in combat. We also can't let you go back to the walls in case you give everyone information on what you've seen so far." Her eyes opened wide in fear, now showing how scared she actually was. "So my life depends... on those two traitors..." I scratched my ear, stating, "Dont worry. I'm sure both Reiner and Bertolt will be back in time," before standing up and starting to walk towards the tent's exit. I stopped before opening the flaps to the entrance, and turned around to face her. "I'd also reccomend for you to get Eren to trust me. If both Reiner and Bertolt get back and Eren starts threatening them again, I'm not so sure they'd be so happy after the long and tiring mission their on. So not only does you're life and Eren's future depend on both Braun and Hoover, but it also depends on Eren himself. I want both of you to trust me, as I'm the only one who can help and understand both of you." _And you're tragedy._ "If everything goes as planned, I can free us all." She looked confused as I just turned around and left the tent. "Now then, Pieck should be here any minute now." But this is one step closer to the end.

_I can free the whole Eldian race, no matter how difficult or painful it will be..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, I'll try to make up for the short chapter's with Chapter 10. To be honest, it might take more than 1 or 2 weeks, since lately I've been feeling like my story hasn't felt..."real?" If that makes any sense. I guess I've felt like with the way I wrote things, this isnt an outcome that could have been possible. It could just be me, so forgive me on the late chapters :( Next chapter, I'll try to make as great as I possibly can, since its well... the tenth chapter! I'm glad you could all make it this far with me, and be able to stick around to enjoy my story. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, as well as any previous chapters :) I also hope you all are feeling well in these tough times,. Have a great rest of your day/night. Leave you're thoughts on this chapter, and let me know if you want something specific, (POV, added character, etc. I'll definitely think about it!) Thank you all for reading, and until next chapter! Kudos!


	10. We're Back...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tenth chapter for "We're Going Home"  
> Note* As of right now, I'm currently updating the past chapters, meaning there will be a few new changes to each chapter! Also, Sorry, for not updating, but I'll definitely start being more frequent!

**_Paradis... The one place I've thought of as hell._ **

The walls of my room were crumbling, rats running around through all the muck that was on the floor. Mold could be seen growing on the corners, making me feel pretty uncomfortable. _Reiner..._

It was always so quiet, so very, very, very quiet. _Im even feeling uneasy._ It was as if my thoughts were so loud, anyone nearby could even hear them. The only sounds I would be hearing, other than my own thoughts were the rats and the roaches, all scrambling about. _Reiner..._

After what seemed like hours, I could hear footsteps. They kept getting louder, and louder. I bead of sweat slid down the side of my face as I decided what I would do; wait for the perfect moment. I had two choices, and depending on how close they were, I was most likely going to go with the first one. I held the metallic piece in my hands, the rust ready to cut into flesh. " _REINER!_ " I turned around to face my cousin, Gabi, shaking and crying. My eyes widened in fear, scared as to why my cousin is here. "Hurry up! You have to come back home! You're not leaving, right?" She held her hand out, extending it to help me up. My eyes watered, reaching out for her soft, small, helping hand. But her hand faded away as soon as I reached out. And soon enough, she was no longer here. "Gabi..." Tears started tugging at the corners of my eyes, my face twisting in anger and sadness.

_They're close Reiner._ I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep, and quietly prepared to attack, realizing there was only two sets of footsteps that were getting nearer. _If I can find my opening... I'll be able to deal with them both..._

As soon as they got in front of my room, they stopped. "R-...Reiner, i-it's me." I opened my eyes, shocked at who just spoke. _I kn_ _ow that voice..._ I sat up and came face to face with the person I wanted to see the least, yet the most at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY. I had to do it >:D
> 
> I'm preparing to upload the next chapter soon (If you're all still here of course, forgive me for the VERY late update) 
> 
> Yes,  
> This was just a teaser, and will be updated as soon as I complete the chapter. Like I've written in one of my past comments, I've been trying to see how the manga goes and if I should start following it a bit more, but I dont want to rush things. I'll finish this story soon? Who decided that? Who knows. I'll see how far I would like this to go. SO, be prepared for the next chapter, my Fellow Reader's. Love you all :)


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